Future Past
by CPDSVU
Summary: [SEQUEL TO "SAVIOR."] – Hailey and Jay have a lot to celebrate over the last year since they moved in together. But when someone from Hailey's past resurfaces seeking revenge, will it destroy their promising future?
1. Losing Your Memory

**A/N: Aaaaand I'm back. Got to thinking about the next steps for Hailey and Jay, but of course...nothing goes as planned for them. You'll know the name when you see it - but it's someone you may not expect from Hailey's past that resurfaces. Won't say who, because I don't wanna give it away, but hopefully you guys will understand where it's going. Enjoy.**

* * *

Hailey remembered it like it was yesterday – or pretty close, at least. It'd been about a year since she moved into Jay's apartment with him, but only 3 months of engaged bliss. Her mind pulled her to that summer day, when they were on a rare vacation together in LA, of all places. Jay had insisted they go to the beach, even though they had planned to explore the parks the whole time they were there. To Hailey's surprise, he had planned a romantic dinner for the two of them, and popped the question just as the sun was setting. She felt her eyes roam underneath her lids, as his exact words came into view:

_Hailey, I know we've only been dating for a little over a year now, but there's no one else I'd rather be with. You are, have been, and always will be singlehandedly the most important person in my life. You're more than just my partner, or even my friend. You are my solace, my heart, my inspiration. I wouldn't want to do this crazy thing called life with anyone else, so– Hailey Belle Upton, will you marry me? _

She had tears in her eyes from the moment he had bent down on one knee, but she let them fall freely down her face as she shook her head. She probably said, "yes yes yes" about 15 times as she leaped from her chair and into his arms after the proposal. They spent the night together on the beach, the only other sound to be heard aside from their laughs were the ocean waves.

_I love you so much, Jay. I can't wait to marry you. Besides, Hailey Halstead has a nice ring to it, don'tcha think? _

She immediately looked down at her hand, going to bring it up to her face so she could see her ring. She desperately wanted the reminder that what she had just thought of was real. When she went to move her left hand, she found that she could only bring it up a little bit. Her wrists were pinned down by some kind of bolted cuffs. Her eyes widened in shock, and she became frenzied, twisting her head down to find that her feet were not bound up. That didn't bring her any comfort like she originally expected it to. When she laid her head back, she landed on something soft. _A pillow_, she countered. She must have been in a bed or on a couch. _But where?_

She moved her mouth to find that it was sore, and she tasted the horrid metallic twinge of blood on her lip. Her head was killing her too. Had she been struck? Was she bleeding anywhere else? She did a quick scan of her legs, and the front side of her body. Nothing else was bloody or injured. She was still in the same clothes as she was yesterday. _Yesterday_. Hailey fought to remember what she was doing before she ended up in this situation. _Yesterday was Friday…I told Jay I was going to look at venues. He was going to meet me there. I was on my way to the first one, my phone ready in hand to text him the location…._ then nothing. _Oh God, Jay. What in the world is he thinking? Is he looking for me? He has to be looking for me, not to mention be worried sick. _Hailey herself felt sick to her stomach at the thought of her fiancé not knowing where she was. She was absentmindedly flooded with images of him: the way he laughed at whenever she said something sarcastic, how comforted she felt wrapped in his arms. And the way he looked at her. God, she hoped she could get to look at him again. _Quit it, Hailey, don't catastrophize. You can get through this. Just keep trying to remember._ She tried to take in some deep breaths, remembering Dr. Barnes' advice. She was trying not to flashback to last year…she and Jay had already been through enough. Why does this have to be happening again?

She shook her head, trying to remember how she got here. She deduced that she had been taken, but by whom? The perpetrator, whoever they were, had yet to show their face to her. Not only that, but what in the world could they want from her? She wasn't personally involved or connected in any takedowns this year, all were team efforts. _So then why her? Why now? _She let out a frustrated groan, deciding to pop her head up so she could take in her surroundings.

She made mental notes of her new environment. _Air mattress. Drafty…. warehouse? Factory? Abandoned building of some kind? _Wherever she was, the specific room she was in was awfully small. She found the source of the air, a tiny window that was broken so badly that it hung halfway open. She could hear the Chicago wind start to pick up, and determined that it was at least the afternoon of her next day. _Saturday_.

She couldn't figure out where in the world her phone had gotten to, but one thing she knew is that regardless, she needed to find another way to get help. It might have been obvious, but she was game to try anything.

"Help!" She tried to call out, coughing as her voice was hoarse. "Hel–" her plea was halted by the sound of the door being slammed. She was now face to face with the person who had kidnapped her. Her vision blurred at the edges as she took in his gray hair and ugly mustache. _No, no, no. He's supposed to be in prison. This can't be happening. _But it was true, because standing in front of her, was Ronald Booth.

"Hello Hailey, did you miss me?"


	2. The Usual Suspects

Jay hadn't slept in 12 hours, and hadn't been home in almost 24. No one, not even Voight, could convince him to stand down on this one. It was Hailey, _his _Hailey, that vanished without a trace. When he pulled up to the general area in Bucktown where she had told him the store was, his GPS pointed him just down the block. He was circling around to find a parking spot when he spotted something on the ground on the corner of 29th and 31st. He put his truck in park and got out, going toward the object in question. Though he was off duty, he felt the familiar reach of his hand towards his service weapon when he realized it was a phone. Dropped phones usually meant one of two things: a fight or struggle of some kind; or it was left behind after something happened to its owner. Unfortunately in his line of work, Jay knew either scenario too well. He reached down to pick up the object, wondering if he could find out any information about who the phone belonged to. It was a basic black Android with a plain white case around it. He flipped it around to see if he could unlock the phone when his heart stopped. At least he felt like it did. Because the photo that came up on the phone's lock screen was a photo of him, grinning like an idiot after a game of golf. He became so confused by it, that he almost thought he became a narcissist overnight and that the photo was on _his_ phone. But one touch to the front pocket of his jeans confirmed that no, his phone was exactly where it was supposed to be. There was only one person in the world who would put up with his countless games of golf.

Hailey.

Which meant that this was her phone. And that chilling fact made Jay race back to his truck, and straight over to the district. He knew Hailey wouldn't have just left her phone on the street. She was smarter than that. He sped through every traffic light to get to the 21st, but it still wasn't fast enough to calm his racing mind. _Where the hell was she? Who would want to take her? And why? _

He pulled up, practically jumped from his truck and sped past Platt on the way upstairs. "Woah, Halstead, what's going on?" Her call out to him barely registered. He didn't even acknowledge his colleagues, breezing right by on the way into Voight's office. The slam of his office door made the sergeant look up.

"Jay?" Voight peered up at his detective from behind his desk.

"She's gone." Jay's eyes were glazed over, but the sheer panic made Voight wonder what in the world he was talking about.

"What?"  
"She's gone, Hank. Hailey's missing." Jay collapsed into the chair behind him, burying his head in his hands.

Voight came out from around his desk, taking the chair across from Halstead. "Jay, what happened? How do you know she's gone?"

Jay only handed Voight Hailey's cell phone, not even bothering to look up. Voight nodded, understanding the same scenarios Jay mulled over minutes ago.

Hank stormed out of his office, Jay right behind him. "Listen up." He paused, looking back at Jay, who nodded at him to keep going. "Hailey's missing." He took another pause, allowing for the usual reactions of his unit to fill the room.

"What?"  
"When?"  
"How could she-"  
"Who would take-"

"Listen." Voight ordered, his mouth folding into a flat line. "We don't have any details, all we know is that she's gone. And we're going to get her back. So, start knocking on doors, coming through her files, running her financials, all of it. I don't care if we wake up neighbors or rattle some thugs. Let's move."

Kevin and Kim volunteered to round up extra patrolmen and women to go door to door, both in Bucktown, around the usual places Hailey frequented: Molly's, Gibson's, and of course, Jay's apartment.

With Antonio gone, Platt assisted Ruzek with the task of rifling through all of Hailey's old cases, UC operations, and the like. Voight took charge of notifying Hailey's parents and siblings, much to Jay's objection.

"Sarge," he tried, but Voight shut it down.

"Jay, I know how close you are to this,"  
"-She's my _fiance_!" He interjected angrily.  
"**I** **know**!" Voight held his hands firmly on Jay's shoulders. "Which is why you're lucky you can still go through her financials. Since you guys have a joint account now, you're the only that has access to her bank. It'd take longer for Tech to scrounge through it via a warrant anyhow...so go, do the work."  
He let go of Jay, honestly worried he would just crumble at any moment. But, surprisingly, a new resolve went off within him, to do the work, to find Hailey. "Alright." Jay had said, walking back to his desk, trying not to stare across the way at the empty chair.

* * *

"Alright, that's it, I've had it. My eyes are going to fall out of my skull. Here, boy wonder, take over will ya?" Platt said, throwing the file box into Adam's hands.

"Wait a minute, Sarge, where you going?"  
"Don't worry about it, kid. I got someone to talk to in Robbery-Homicide. Wanna see if Hailey made any enemies over on that side of town."

Adam sighed, shaking his head as he watched Platt walk down the stairs. He finished rifling through Hailey's files, and made a nice little pile of criminals who may have had a reason to do this. He even pulled Matthew Garrett's file out of Jay's records, just to be safe. _He hated Jay, and took a major liking to Hailey. Maybe one of his boys would be out looking to do the same_. In addition to Garrett, he had McGrady, Peterson (the creepy older man from last year that gave Jay a bad feeling when he was talking to Hailey), and last but not least, Adam had pulled Booth's file.

He went through all of them, searching for any updates or new information that they may have missed before, but he needed more eyes. He decided to pull Jay over, hoping he could help him out. "Hey, Jay, can you come take a look at these?"

Jay poked his head up from behind the monitor. "What?"

Adam held up the files. "Possible suspects in Hailey's case."

Jay came over, and the two went through the files, coming up with same result: nothing out of the ordinary.

Jay tapped his thumb and forefinger against his chin. "Hm, lemme check something."

Adam watched in slight confusion as Jay wheeled himself back over to his desk, picking up the phone to make a call. Adam went over and sat next to him as he talked for a few minutes. "Hi yes, this is Detective Jay Halstead with the Chicago Police Department. I was calling to check the status of one of your inmates, Ronald Booth."

"Yes sir, Booth is still in our system, being housed at Statesville Penitentiary. Serving 15 years with no possibility of parole. Does that match with your records?" The operator asked Jay. He looked to Adam, who ran back to his desk and grabbed Booth's file. A few seconds later, he gave Jay the thumbs up sign.

"Yes, it appears it does. Thank you." Jay hung up the phone, a defeated look crossing his face.

Adam was curious. "What's up? Why'd you call in about Booth?"

Jay sighed. "Just a feeling I had. I mean, you remember how hard that case hit Hailey. Plus, I still stand by my theory of him being obsessed with her. Even if he still imprisoned, I wouldn't put it past him to get one of his guys to do something for him."  
Adam nodded, an idea popping into his head. "Well, hey, how about I look into Booth known associates, and you..." he paused, taking in Jay's exhausted demeanor. "You should go home and get some rest, man. You look like hell."  
Jay made a face. "Gee, thanks."  
Adam patted him on the shoulder. "You know what I mean. Just for a few hours, okay? I'll personally notify you if something jumps off."  
Jay threw up his hands in surrender, knowing it was a waste of time to argue. "Fine."

Adam watched him walk down the stairs, satisfied at his convincing skills. He decided to call Kim, to see how she and Kevin were doing with canvassing.  
"Hey guys? You get anything?"  
"Not yet. We struck out at Molly's and Gibson's..."  
"Burgess, let's go, we gotta get to Bucktown ASAP!" Adam heard Kevin's voice in background, and he also heard Kim sigh.  
"Yeah, we're headed to her last known now. I'll text you with an update, okay?"  
Adam shook his head, even though Kim couldn't actually see him. "Yeah, okay."

He then decided (and would later regret) to call Platt. "Hey Trudy, just wanted to know if you got anything from Hailey's old unit?"

"Adam, am I back at the house yet?"  
"No," he paused, ready to get his ass handed to him for calling.  
"Then I haven't got anything solid yet." She was snippy, before her voice softened. "But I'll get something, alright? I'm still waiting to meet with Hailey's old commander."  
"Okay, thanks Sarge."  
"Yeah, sure thing."

* * *

To say Jay was a mess was putting it lightly. He didn't even make it home without seeing a reminder of her. He was driving by Cyndi's Ice Cream Shop when the memory hit him, all at once.

_"Dude, I'm telling you, they have the best ice cream in the city here! I cannot believe you've never been here before!" Hailey chastised Jay, who was still wondering how in the world she convinced him to go for ice cream in the first place. They had just finished a double shift, and Jay was beat. He figured Hailey would be too, but as soon as they got back to his place, she was practically throwing him out the door to his truck, insisting they go to Cyndi's. _

_"Whatever you say, Hails." He shook his head as he heard the cheesy bell ring above the door, signaling their arrival. _

_"Hi, welcome to Cyndi's. Have you guys been here before?" Their hostess was super smiley for a dreary evening. It was late June, but the skies had decided to downpour the day before, leaving the smell of rain behind. It was still slightly cloudy when they had impulsively driven over here. _

_"She has, but I have not." Jay answered. He could see Hailey roll her eyes in his peripherals. _  
_Hailey scoffed, her eyes going to the hostess. "Can you please tell my boyfriend that this is in fact the best ice cream in Chicago? I've been _trying _to tell him, but he's not entirely convinced." She flitted her gaze back to Jay, who just shrugged. _

_Their hostess leaned her head back, cocking it towards the sign behind her. VOTED #1 IN CHICAGO 5 YEARS IN A ROW BY THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE. Next to it, there was a certificate of excellence given out by the BBB. _

_"Are you convinced _now_?" Hailey asked breezily. She cocked her brow at Jay, who gave up. _  
_"Okay, sure. But I won't be completely sold until I try some of these," he said, motioning towards the 33 flavors they had. _

_The hostess gave them some sampler spoons, and they each tried at least 5 flavors. Jay sampled Chocolate Brownie, Thin Mint, Black Raspberry Chip, Peanut Butter Fudge, and Malted Vanilla. Hailey tried the Chocolate Brownie too, but then went for Dark Chocolate Chip, Cookie Dough, Neapolitan, and S'mores. _

_"I'll get the mint please," Jay said, tossing their spoons in the mini trashcan on the counter.  
"And I'll get my usual." Hailey told the hostess, giving Jay that innocent look when he narrowed his eyes at her.  
"What the-? Hailey, you just sampled all those flavors, and yet you already knew what you were gonna get?" _

_She grinned at him. "Yeah well, I wanted to do it with you, so I tried some different ones. But yes, 100% of the time, you'll find me with cookie dough ice cream. Sorry, not sorry!" She laughed as Jay sighed, not knowing what to do with her. _

_"You're crazy, you know that?" He said, grabbing his ice cream from the counter._  
_"Oh you love me, come on." Hailey teased, getting her ice cream too. _  
Yeah I do_, Jay thought. He decided to do an ice cream sneak attack on an unsuspecting Hailey. He got her nose with a little bit of mint ice cream, grinning victoriously. _

_"Oh, you're so dead!" She cried, flinging whipped cream at him, getting his cheek. _

_He laughed, loving making her laugh even more. And that's when it hit him: he could spend the rest of his life like this. Laughing with her, crying with her, just being with her. He wanted Hailey to be a part of his life forever. And what better way to make forever a real thing than by a certain sparkly piece of jewelry and one important question? _

_He smirked as he got out his wallet, finding Hailey getting the whipped cream off his cheek with a open-mouthed kiss. He turned around to pick up his change, before giving her a quick kiss on her nose, successfully getting the mint off of her. _

_They spent the rest of their evening exploring Chicago, well, before they got caught in the rain. Course Jay never had so much fun running to his car in his life. And that was all thanks to Hailey's voice next to his shoulder, saying a chorus of "Oh my gosh" and "Go go go!" She was clinging onto his arm, attempting to shield her face from the downpour using his jacket. _

_They finally made it to his truck, both of them trying to dry off. Since Hailey didn't have her jacket, she was colder than Jay. He noticed this, scooting over to hug her. He ran his hands down her arms, creating some warmth for her. As he did this, she let out a heavier breath, and her blue eyes latched onto his. He did the same, but he brushed the wet hair out of her eyes, noticing how pretty it looked in waves like that. _

_She found herself leaning into him, as did he. He didn't know why he felt so nervous. They'd done this dance a million times before, and yet, when he felt her lips brush his, he found himself feeling like it was the first time. He smiled against her, as he felt the nerves become calmer. He knew he'd be okay with feeling all the nerves in the world if it meant she got to help him feel more at peace in the end._

* * *

Jay was jostled from his trip down memory lane by the sound of a car horn behind him. He continued his drive, making it to his house in 5 more minutes. It was an onslaught of memories as he entered his apartment. Memory after memory of he and Hailey replayed as he passed photos of them together, passed her UC sweatshirt on her side of the bed. That was the last thing he remembers her in a mere 36 hours ago. _He remembered begging her to come back to bed Friday morning, seeing as their phones weren't going off like crazy for once. But she insisted on getting ready, jumping up from her side of the bed, running to her half of the closet. She slipped into some jeans before Jay came over behind her, his hands gripping the hem of her sweatshirt. _

_"Oh no, come on now, I wanna get readyyyy," she whined, her laugh turning into a gasp as his lips made their way down her neck, at the same time his hands made their way up her stomach. _

_"I'm just helping you choose a different shirt..." he bargained, hiking her sweatshirt halfway up her body.  
"You're so not helping..." she reasoned. But she found herself leaning her head back against his shoulder as he continued his mission.  
"Hm, I beg to differ..." he hummed against her neck, the vibration against her skin feeling electric.  
She eventually chose a different shirt, albeit an hour later than she intended. _

Jay was going to try and sleep in _their_ room, but he couldn't. All he would do is lay there, taking in the scent of her vanilla body lotion against his sheets, or seeing her billions of ponytail holders strewn across her nightstand. He went to the sofa instead, trying not to think of all their movie nights or pizza and beer nights they shared there. He sat in his usual spot, wondering when the next time she'd get to sit next to him would be. _Stop it, Jay. You'll find her. _He was tempted to keep searching for clues, but pure exhaustion took over his entire body, and he ended up facedown on his couch, asleep within minutes. Too bad all he did was dream of Hailey.


	3. Obsessed

She didn't realize she hadn't said a word to him until he prompted her. "_Well_? What, no hello. No pleasantries? Hailey, I'm shocked." He said, feigning hurt feelings. He laughed, peering over at her from his position by the door. "Sorry about the setup… but the cuffs are for your own good, really." He smirked at her, eyes glinting with power.

Hailey found her voice for the first time since seeing Booth. "Go to hell."

He walked over to her, bending down right by her ear. "I've been in it for 2 years, sweetheart. Now, I'm simply dragging you down with me."

She found herself shivering as his god awful mustache brushed the shell of her ear. "What're you talking about? You deserved what you got. You should still be in jail!" She said, her voice rising with every word.

"Ah, yes. Should be's. Could've been's. Gotta love those. Like how I _should've_ finished what I started at that New Year's Eve Party, and I _could've_ had my way with you again if your partner hadn't been such a watchdog."

Hailey felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up at the mention of her run-in with Booth two years ago. That was part of the early tension between her and Jay's partnership, him feeling like he couldn't trust her; her feeling like he wasn't being fair. She had been so caught up in her past that she didn't know that Ronald was even talking still.

"…What was his name? Oh. _Jay_, wasn't it? How is the overprotective detective?" He chuckled at his berating of Halstead.

"You don't own me, Ron. Never did." Hailey spat.

"Oh really? And I suppose that ring on your finger means someone else does then, huh?" He grabbed her wrist harshly, yanking her ringed finger in front of them both.

"What the hell is wrong with you? What, you've just been planning this for 2 years now….and what'd you think was gonna happen? I played my part, but that undercover wasn't me, you jackass."

"Still got that devilish tongue, I see…" he said, tossing her hand backward. "So, who is he?"

Hailey's brows knitted together. "What?"

"You heard me."

"It doesn't matter. You don't get to know anything about the real me."

"Oh, but I know you, Hailey. I do. You still drive that Mazda? Or have that little black dress from New Year's?"

"You're despicable." Hailey sneered, trying to lunge at him, but forgetting about her restraints. She fell back on the pillow, hard. Booth only grimly laughed at her.

"Maybe. But you know me, as long as you do what I want, then I'm perfectly fine."

Hailey let out a dry laugh. "Ha, that's rich. _Please_. You're nothing more than pathetic excuse for a man. I should've killed you when I had the chance."

"More of those should'ves. You probably could have, if Jay hadn't stopped you. Damn I bet he's kicking himself now."

Hailey didn't say anything, training her eyes to stay on Booth. He kept on, not noticing her lack of response. "What? No? Wait, you mean they don't know you're missing? Oh, now _that_ is rich. Damn, I knew my plan was good, but never this good."

"They're coming for me, you son of a bitch. And when any one of them gets their hands on you, you'll be sorry for this diluted plan of yours."

"I'll believe it when I see it." Booth crouched down by her side again, something sinister brewing behind his eyes. He materialized a beer – from where Hailey had no idea – and gulped it down faster than she'd ever seen anyone do.

_Ah, that explains his random tangents_, Hailey realized. She was surprised to find his hands on her body a second later. "You wanna know what else I wanna see?"

"Stop it," she said, wrenching herself away from his grasp. She kicked at him, but that only egged him on, as he held her legs in place. "Stop," she said again, willing her voice not to break.

She thrashed around on the mattress as she felt the brunt of his weight leaning on top of her. "Get off!" She screamed, kneeing him where it hurt the most.

He fell backward, a mix of pain and rage clouded his face. He smacked her across the face, and she tasted fresh blood as it ran down her lip. "Bitch," he cursed, getting up and shaking his head at her, like she was nothing.

For the first time since waking up, Hailey let her emotions get the best of her, shedding some tears at her dire situation. She just hoped Booth was wrong…. Her unit would find her. She was sure of it. _Come on Jay._

* * *

Back at his apartment, Jay was pacing, waiting for his phone to go off. It had been 20 minutes since he woke up from an hour and a half nap, but it felt like it had been years. He was so disoriented that time didn't really matter in his mind anymore. The only thing that mattered to him was gone, but he be damned if he didn't get her back.

He was going back and forth with himself on whether or not he should call Adam, when his phone number came up on Jay's cell. He answered it instantly. "Ruz, what'd ya got?"

"Hey man. Listen, we have a suspect in the box. It's the gun dealer from Wisconsin…the one who took both Hailey and Kim last year. I hadn't thought of him at first, and Kim remembered him immediately and pulled his info. If you want to see the interview, you can, just come on down here. Voight said you've got observer status only, alright? Me and Voight will deal with Gaines."

Jay nodded, thanking Adam for the heads up before hanging up the phone. He tossed his jacket right back on his body and headed back to work. When he arrived, Voight and Ruzek were in fact, starting their questioning of Logan Gaines.

He saw that Kim was on the other side of the glass too, watching the interview go down. Jay quietly slipped into the room beside her. The two exchanged quick glances, each not knowing exactly what to say to the other.

"Jay, I–"

"I know, Kim. Thank you." He said, a tiny bit of authenticity in his voice. He looked sideways at her. "So, do you think Gaines' good for this?"

Kim mimicked his motion as she answered. "Honestly, why would he? And why wouldn't…" she paused, swallowing. "Why wouldn't he have grabbed me up too? I mean, that sounds terrible, I know, but I'm just being frank."

Jay nodded, considering her angle. She did have a point. He decided to wait it out, at least until Voight and Ruzek had exhausted all their tactics.

"Logan, you're not a stupid guy. We know this. We don't care about that." Adam said.

"All we wanna know is where Hailey Upton is." Voight added, slamming his hands on the table.

Logan Gaines stared both policemen down. "I haven't seen that bitch since she almost killed me with those chains up in Wisconsin. Ask anyone."

"Quit jerking us off, Gaines!" Adam yelled, joining Voight in the slamming down of the table.

"I'm not, I swear. I have not seen Hailey Upton at all. Besides, I have an alibi for yesterday. I was at my new job. Mandatory training. Go on, you can go check with my boss." He said matter of factly, nodding at the men to go do just that.

Hank shook his head, and Adam scoffed, both thinking this guy was unbelievable. Nevertheless, they did in fact check with Logan's employer. They were disappointed to find that he was actually telling the truth.

"Dammit!" Adam said, throwing the phone down against the receiver.

"Alright, let's regroup." Voight announced, gathering the group back around the white board. "What do we know? Who can we rule out entirely?" He tapped his marker against the board, rattling the photos a little.

"We talked to a store owner across the street from where Hailey was last seen. She saw a man with graying hair come up behind a blonde haired woman, putting some kind of cloth to her face, before dragging her off. She couldn't see where they went, but she did put a call into the Bucktown Sheriff." Kim responded.

"We have the call log too." Kevin added, waving the piece of paper around like a flag.

"Well then why the hell didn't Bucktown follow up?" Jay wondered aloud. He was pissed off again. _Damn sheriffs could've gotten somewhere with it, but they didn't do a damn thing!_

Kevin and Kim shrugged their shoulders. "The call went through to the 911 operator, but it must have gotten jumbled when it was transferred over to the Sheriff's office. Because it only shows 30 seconds to that Bucktown line."

Jay grumbled. "Still not good enough."

Voight nodded, taking in this information. "Well, then we can successfully eliminate McGrady and Peterson." He crossed off the two men's photos. "What about Garrett's know associates? Did you find any, Adam?"

Adam shook his head. "Yes, I tracked some down. But they're all either in lockup or too high out of their minds to even walk in a straight line, let alone kidnap a police officer."

Voight crossed off Garrett's photo too. "So then, who's left?"

Jay felt sick to his stomach. _Gray hair? No, it couldn't be, could it?_ He caught Adam's glance, and the two detective's eyes widened to the size of saucers.

"Son of a bitch." Jay gritted out. He saw Adam stand up and go to the photo pile. He pinned Booth's photo up on the white board, to which Jay gestured at.

"It's gotta be Booth. It has to be. There's no other explanation." He tried to explain, trying not to be offended by his colleagues bewildered expressions.

"But isn't he…" Kim began timidly. Kevin helped her out: "Bro, isn't he locked up still?"

Jay ran a hand over his face. "I'm an idiot. I had him. **I fucking had him!**" He threw his hand against his desk, scattering some papers across the floor. He took off to the stairwell, Adam following close behind.

"Hey, hey!" He whisper screamed at Jay. He tried to pull him back, but Jay resisted his grip.

"What, Adam? You gonna tell me everything's gonna be okay? Because it's **not**. If she dies at the hands of that…._monster_, it's all my fault."

Adam squared his feet on the ground, standing between Jay and the door. He sighed, before looking at his friend. "The only person responsible for this is Booth. But if you wanna find out how the hell he's back in society, let's go ask the lovely people at Statesville how a known convict escaped their fine establishment."

Jay shook his head, but reluctantly agreed. At least then he could take his anger out on someone other than himself.

* * *

Hailey opened her eyes, feeling the skin around them tighten due to her dried tears. She poked her head up, wondering if Booth had come back. She was alone in the room, so she took another look around. She scooted forward so she was upright, though her arms were outstretched behind her because of the bolted cuffs. Her eyes scanned every corner, floor to ceiling, for anything she could use. She couldn't see much, given that the only light was coming in from the window, and the day was nearing its end. She did see something on the wall though. Even though she couldn't quite reach it, she'd be an idiot not to try. She kicked up her feet, trying to press her toes along the wall, to feel if she could reach the object.

"God!" She cried out, feeling the cuffs dig into her wrists, her arms stretched to their maximum capacity. She gave one last ditch effort, flinging her leg against the wall, hoping the vibration could hit it by proxy. Nothing. And as the night fell over the room, she sighed, lying flat on her back against the mattress again. She shivered, feeling a cool breeze come through the window. She wished she had a blanket right now. Her white tee shirt and jeans weren't exactly the warmest clothes she owned.

She closed her eyes, letting her mind wander to someplace happier. Or rather, someone happier. She remembered the day she knew that she had found the one – that was the day she allowed herself to wish that Jay would feel the same about her. That was the day Hailey wanted him to ask her to be his forever. _They were at a golf course (because _duh_), and while Jay was having fun as he always did, Hailey's cold was keeping her from having the greatest time. She didn't tell Jay she was sick, although she was sure he caught on by her 10__th__ time sneezing while teeing off. _

"_Hey, babe, y'know we can go home." _

_She turned to look at him, before turning back to her fairway woods and golf ball. "I'm good, I promise." _

_Jay came behind her, wrapping his hands around hers on the club, hugging her to him. "You're sweet to do this for me. But after this round, I'm taking you home. No questions asked." He murmured, his head fitting perfectly in the crook of her neck and shoulder. He gave her a kiss on the cheek for good measure. _

_Hailey teed off, sending her golf ball across the green with a surprisingly decent shot. Jay gave her a round of applause, before hitting his own off the tee, barely managing to get it farther than hers. _

"_Ha! Not bad for a sick person, huh Halstead?" Hailey winked, doing a little victory dance, despite the fact that he technically made it further along than she did. _

_He rolled his eyes at her, doing a jokingly proper bow to her. She pushed against his chest as he came back up straight. "Oh stop." She said, proceeding to laugh, which then made her cough. _

"_Okay, that's it. Come on." Jay said, collecting his jacket and placing it over Hailey's shoulders, despite the fact she wore a jean jacket already. She took it anyway, pulling it close to her. _

"_Sorry I ruined our night." She whispered, sniffling. Jay didn't know if her eyes were watery from coughing or from sadness, but either way he never wanted to see her like that on his account. _

"_No, Hailey…don't think that. Ever. Spending time with you…in whatever way I can, is what makes my nights great." He reassured her, pulling her close as they finished the walk to his truck. _

_Hailey gave him a weak smile, before shrugging off his jacket and climbing in his truck. Jay shook his head, but drove them back to his place quickly as to get her to bed in a timely manner. When he was done double-timing it to his apartment, he turned to tell Hailey they were home. He heard a soft sigh, almost like a light snore, coming from his passenger seat. He looked over to find her sleeping. _

_He smiled, ran around to her side, and carried her back into his – their – apartment. He had set her down in bed and was going to grab a thermometer when she woke up. _

"_What's up?" She asked, trying to sit up against the headboard. She was struggling, a little slower than normal. _

"_Hey, woah woah. I got it, I got it." Jay said, rushing to her aid, tucking her arm into his and helping her up. _

"_Thanks," she whispered. _

_Jay nodded, before handing her the thermometer. "Here, place it under your tongue." She did as she was told, and her temperature read 101. "Oh gosh, Hailey…" he started, pausing to run to his bathroom to grab a washcloth. He ran it under cold water, bringing it back for her to place on her forehead. _

"_Do I have to?" She asked, a little resistant.  
"Yeah, humor me, would ya? Just for a few minutes, please?" He asked her.  
"Okay, fine. You're lucky you're cute." She wagged her finger at him, before taking the washcloth and placing it over her forehead. _

_She ended up dozing off again, only to be woken up by her nose. The smell of chicken noodle soup filled her nostrils, and her stomach grumbled in anticipation. As if on cue, Jay returned with a small bowl of chicken noodle soup for her to eat, plus some ginger ale to settle her stomach. _

"_Smells really good, thanks babe." She said, smiling up at him. He smiled back at her, helping her sit up to eat. _

_She looked down at the bowl, before looking back up at him in amazement. "How did you–?" she started, not believing what she was seeing for a second. _

_Jay shrugged. "I called your mom. She told me about how you only eat chicken noodle soup with pasta noodles. Ya weirdo," he teased, earning a smack against his arm from her. _

_Hailey was still amazed he cared enough to do that for her. He even got her Canada Dry ginger ale…the only brand she'll ever drink. Gosh it amazed her how much he knew about her. She couldn't even remember if she told him she liked ginger ale. _

_He must've read her mind or something, because he added on: "Oh, I saw you label your drink one day at work with a post-it that said: 'This is Hailey's favorite ginger ale. Do not drink (RUZEK!) or I will be angry all day long…'"_

_Hailey chuckled at his admission. Yeah, he paid attention alright. She smiled at him, thanking him again for taking the time to do this. _

"_I'd do anything for you." He said, before kissing the top of her head._

Hailey was clinging onto that thought before the door being thrown open drew her awake. _Dammit_. She quickly shot up, realizing it was in fact, almost the morning of her next day in captivity.

"Get up." Booth harshly said.  
"Why?" Hailey asked.  
"**GET UP**!" He yelled, his voice making Hailey flinch.

She did as instructed, trying to hide her panic stricken face. _Please not now_. "What do you want? I mean seriously. What're you trying to get out of this?" She whispered, her voice feeling weak.

"Let's recap, shall we? Because of _you_, and your jag-off of a partner, I was sent back to prison. Because of _you_, I was sent to prison the _first_ time. So, to say I'm mad is a polite way to put it."

Hailey scoffed. "You deserved it. Hell, you _deserve _it! You killed Garrett, and you almost killed me! You don't have any reason to be mad at Jay, so leave him out of this! This is between you and me."

"Maybe so. But judging by your reaction to the mention of your partner, I'm intrigued. Did I strike a nerve?"

Hailey averted her eyes, biting her lip to keep from showing a brash emotion.

Booth took her silence as confirmation. "Ah, so I did."

"Shut up, Ronny." She seethed, her hands balling up into fists.

"Oh wait. No, don't tell me. Is _he_ the guy that's got you now? Of course. I knew it, I knew he screwed you!"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"I asked him, I point blank asked him two years ago if he was sleeping with you. That punk lied to my face then, right?"

Hailey fought the urge to roll her eyes. "You're talking crazy now. Come on." She didn't want to give him any indication that she and Jay were actually together. If he was _that_ jealous of a fictional relationship between them while they were undercover, she couldn't imagine his reaction if he found out it was for real now.

"What? Cat got your tongue, Hailey?" Booth sneered.

Before she could even react, he rushed down to her and grabbed her hair, harshly pulling it back.

"Ah," she winced at the tension her head was feeling now.

"Tell me!" He yelled, his beer laden breath in her face.

"We didn't sleep together! **We. Never. Slept. Together.**" She yelled back. She felt him let go of her hair, her head falling back like a rag doll.

"I want to believe you, I do. But regardless, I'm still gonna do what I came back to do." He said, his voice becoming gravelly and hard.

"Which is what? What're you gonna do, huh? Kill me? You would've done it already." Hailey bravely stated.

An evil laugh escaped his lips. "You're right, I would've. But when I'm done with you, you're gonna wish I had…."

That was the last thing she remembers before her world went black again.


	4. Questions & Answers

"Look, you picked the wrong cop on a bad day," Jay said, slamming his badge against the jailhouse window.

The operator looked at Adam as if he could be of assistance, but Ruzek simply shrugged, as if to say 'nope, just tell him what he wants to know.'

"Just tell me who was in charge of monitoring Booth." Jay pressed, his eyes shooting daggers at the poor innocent prison clerk. The man dialed the phone like the wind, requesting the corrections officer and deputy assigned to Booth's floor to come up.

"Officer Harris, Deputy Carlo, these are detectives from the Chicago Police Department." The operator looked from the two rows of men, who didn't speak for a moment, sizing each other up.

Adam broke the silence first. "I'm Officer Adam Ruzek, this is Detective Jay Halstead. We're with Intelligence, and we need to talk to you both about one of your inmates, Ronald Booth."

Jay, still running on fumes, interjected with, "Yeah, as in, why the hell he escaped your custody?!"

Harris and Carlo looked at each other. "What do you mean? We accounted for his whereabouts for the last 48 hours."

Jay had a snarky reply on the tip of his tongue, but Adam put his hand out in front of Jay, to stop him without saying a word. Adam took control of the conversation again, asking how that was possible.

"I checked on him myself in solitary this morning. He's been in there since yesterday." Deputy Carlo told Adam.

"And I was the guard on duty," Officer Harris added.

Adam decided to humor the two men. "Alright, show us to his cell then, if you would be so kind."

Harris and Carlo motioned for Adam and Jay to follow them. They were taken to the lower level, where solitary confinement was. They had 5 cells for this purpose, each windowless and soundproof. "Alright, let's see him," Jay huffed, getting impatient.

"He's in here." Officer Harris opened the door, and Deputy Carlo followed the two detectives inside, where they were greeted by a man who was certainly not Booth, but a pretty damn good look-alike. The older man had graying hair and a mustache, but was the wrong height and build.

"Are you guys always this dense, or is this your first go around?" Jay spat, calling Voight on his cell.

Adam shook his head, looking disappointed in the two supposed veteran correctional workers in his wake. "Get me those security tapes from your cameras!" He yelled at the two men. "Go, now!"

The men grunted, but hurried back upstairs to do as requested. Adam went over to Jay, who was still talking to Voight. "Yeah, Hank, it's Booth. He's got her." Adam clasped his hand over Jay's shoulder, letting him know he was here as he heard the panic set into Halstead's voice.

When Jay hung up the phone, Adam reassured him that he'd see to it that the footage would be looked at with a fine tooth comb. Jay nodded, but the sickening feeling in his stomach didn't go away. Even though he knew it was Booth all along, seeing that confirmation of his worst fear was not something he wanted to experience. His mind instantly flashed to him and Hailey's last encounter with Booth, before he was hauled off to prison for a second time.

"_Hailey," he said, placing his hand on her shoulder. _

_She still stood over Booth, trigger cocked and gun ready to fire. _

"_Hailey, please," Jay said, a hint of desperation clouding his voice. "This is not the way. You gotta trust me," he tried, hoping that would get through to her. _

_Jay's voice cut through the static that surrounded Hailey's ears. Booth's evil laugh was the last thing she had heard, but now, it was overshadowed by the calming voice of her partner. _

_She let out a heavy sigh, exhaling all her anger and resentment. She put her gun back in her holster, leaning back against the wall. She had watched Jay put the cuffs on Booth, and waited until they were out of the stairwell before she let the tears fall. _

_Jay didn't know she had cried until later that night, when the tears had welled up in her eyes again. She let them fall, and that was the first time he saw the vulnerable side of Hailey Upton. He never wanted to be there for anyone more in his life. So, he popped open the cap on her whiskey, pouring himself a glass as he let her talk it out. _

"_You loved him?" He asked cautiously about Garrett, not wanting to push her too far. __  
__She didn't answer him, but when he saw the sadness in her eyes, he realized she didn't need to. He knew that sinking feeling – hell, he'd _had_ that sinking feeling for months about Erin. _

_He just kept listening, knowing that was all he could really do at that exact moment. She talked until the alcohol ran dry, as did her tears. Jay had left after she had fallen asleep, but he remembered looking back, wishing she would've asked him to stay. _

"Jay, hey…Jay," Adam shook his shoulder, jostling Jay back to reality.

"What?" He asked, turning to look at him.

"We gotta go. Hailey's credit card was just used to buy alcohol, water, and…" Adam paused, unsure if he should tell Jay what else.

"And what? What else, Adam?"

"Duct tape and zip ties." Adam said, his voice barely above a whisper.

Jay was upstairs and out the door in a flash, almost leaving Adam behind in the dust of his determination to get to Hailey before Booth did.

* * *

"Rise and shine! Or should I say, rise and embrace the nocturnal energy," Booth said, an oddly chilling brightness in his voice.

Hailey stirred, her vision blurry once again. She had a terrible acidic taste on her lips, her tongue automatically retreating back to her throat in disgust. _What the hell had he done to her?_ She must've been out for a while, considering it was now nighttime, most likely the middle of the night given the utter silence outside. _Dammit_.

"Hey, listen." He said, grabbing her face, his hands gripping it so much that it scrunched her lips together. She wrestled it free, glowering at him.

"What? What the hell could you possibly want now, huh?" Hailey shouted.

"That mouth of yours is gonna get you into trouble, girl," he warned, tsk-tsking at her with his hand.

Hailey narrowed her eyes at him again, watching as he poured the contents of a brand new water bottle onto the floor. She let out a rough pant, her mind not really processing everything out correctly. _Son of a bitch was actually going to give her water. Fuck my life. _She cursed to herself.

"We're gonna drink instead." He said, pulling out two bottles of alcohol, one vodka and the other one whiskey. _Oh hell_.

Hailey clamped her mouth shut, backing up a little bit towards the edge of the mattress, knowing full well he was going to thrust a drink in her face within seconds.

"Oh no, you're not getting out of this one," he laughed, pouring 4 shot glasses full of the liquors. He took two easy, like it didn't even faze him.

Hailey was a social drinker, sure, but she hadn't done shots since college. Like straight shots anyhow. Booth grabbed a shot glass in each of his hands, bringing them over to Hailey, who continued shaking her head and moving her face farther away from his reach.

Her neck was strained from stretching it so far backwards, but she couldn't help it. Booth had gotten all up in her personal space. He set one of the glasses down next to her on the floor, shoving the other one in her face, attempting to pour it out. When she twisted her face away, he grabbed it, plugging her nose which forced her mouth to open much to her dismay.

"Mm!" That mangled sound was the only thing she got out before her throat was burned by the taste of vodka, and subsequently whiskey.

Booth sat back, out of breath, but still held a smug look on his face. "Now," he took in a gulp of air. "We can keep doing it the hard way, or it can get easier."

Hailey coughed, choking on the remnants of the spirits. "Fuck you." She rasped.

"Fine, have it your way." Booth shrugged. He poured another shot, force feeding it to Hailey, who unfortunately liked breathing too much to resist.

She felt lightheaded and heavy all at the same time before long. _What the hell was he doing? _

She successfully avoided a fourth shot, spitting it out before he noticed. She was shocked to find that the bottle was now completely drained. He must have gone at it hard. Booth set the bottles back on the table, stalking over to her again.

"You still don't get it, do you?" He asked, his breath reeking of both booze choices.

Hailey lurched away from him again, but she realized she couldn't get any further as the back of her head hit the wall. She gulped, her head unintentionally swaying back and forth due to dizziness. Booth cackled, scaring Hailey a little.

"Oh, but you will…" he whispered, his mustache feeling like sandpaper against her cheek.

Hailey felt her body tense up, her face becoming hot with the attack of a new flashback. _New Year's. The party. They had been drinking before he…_ Hailey felt like she was going to throw up, but before she could even turn, Booth had her pinned down to the mattress once again.

"Hmmm," Booth's tenor sent goosebumps up her arms and legs. "I've been waiting for this. To finish what I started all those years ago. And this time, no knight in police armor to come and save you."

Hailey could feel her pulse in her ears, and was sure her heart was leaping out of her chest. "**Please don't**," her voice cracked, and she was so ashamed that she had been reduced to begging. She felt his mouth skim hers, before his breath was on her neck, his hands going torturously slow down her body. "**Stop**," she cried, feeling her shirt come up as he found what he wanted.

"Please don't stop?" His voice was pure evil. "If you insist."

Her tears were the last emotion she showed before she went numb from the face down.

* * *

"Hey, where's the tape?" Jay didn't even bother asking permission to speak first as Intelligence was huddled back around the bullpen.

His colleagues looked down or off to the side, anywhere but directly at him. Voight broke the news to Jay. "There is none."

Jay craned his neck out, his incredulousness proceeding him. "I'm sorry, _what_?"

Voight looked firmly at Jay and repeated the statement. "There is no security footage from the store where the items were bought. They got lucky..."

Jay cut him off right there. "You mean, _he_ got lucky. We know it's Booth, right? Right?!" He shouted, causing 4 pairs of eyes to fall on him.

"Hey, calm down." Voight said, but Jay just brushed it off. "No! We know it's him. He's got Hailey, and all we're doing is sitting here with our thumbs up our asses!"

"Jay!" Voight growled. Adam took notice of the sudden rise in tension, grabbing Jay up to remove him from the room.

"Adam, get off! I'm not leaving until I know where she is!" Jay fought against him, practically throwing him off as they neared the stairs. Adam went sailing backwards, Kim coming up behind to catch him as he fell.

"Hey, hey," she soothed. "It's okay. You know it's not you. It's her." Adam looked up at Kim, nodding his head in agreement.

"I know, I just wish we could find her. I was so sure that credit card was gonna lead us to something solid."

Kim helped him up from the edge of the stairs before walking with him back over to his desk. "Let's keep looking, we're bound to find something."

Adam nodded, rubbing his tired eyes. "Yeah, I hope so."

While Jay let out his rage on the stairwell wall, the rest of the team continued digging into Booth, praying that some shred of evidence would lead them to his location, and more importantly, to Hailey.

Kim helped Adam run diagnostics on Hailey's finances again, while Kevin and Voight went review the jailhouse footage again. Booth was shown making a shiv, which wouldn't have been a problem, except for the fact that he somehow cut into the wall with it. Course the wall was cement, but fortunate for Booth, it was cement _blocks_. A few hits to the now gaping hole in the wall with the missing brick was all it took for the foundation to crack open completely. Booth had bribed a guard prior to his solitary to give him a wedge and a nail, so he could have a makeshift hammer. He knocked out the rest of the dust and debris from the hole, carving out enough space for him to squeeze through. And ta-da, he was out in the world within 24 hours of his initial breakthrough.

"Damn, so this guy really is smart," Kevin acknowledged, still not believing what he had just witnessed.

"We're smarter," Voight reminded him, slamming the computer down and walking back out to the main floor.

"Alright, we know Ronald Booth escaped from Statesville at approximately 2:30PM Friday. He hitchhiked his way back into the city, where he then stole keys from a patrolmen's jacket at a restaurant. Those keys gave him access to all of CPD's files, including personnel information. He most likely managed to find Hailey's file, and in the midst of all that, deduced where she lived. Since Hailey and Jay had to disclose their engagement to HR, his address was listed under her primary."

"So then how the hell did he manage to find her in Bucktown?" Adam asked, genuinely baffled by Booth's methods of madness.

"Those files also contain phone numbers," Voight told them. Adam still wasn't following.

"So, he got Hailey's number, probably hacked into her provider, and tracked her location." Kevin said, giving Adam some help.

"Then just snatched her off the street? That's cold." Adam said, running a hand over his face.

"People do crazy things with vengeance." Voight countered, surveying his team's reactions to this new information.

"So, what's our next move?"

Their heads turned toward the stairs, where Jay's voice was coming from.

Voight nodded, which Jay took as confirmation to rejoin the group. "We fight back."


	5. Up, Up, and Away

**A/N: Strictly Hailey's POV. Jay's will be the next chapter. Brief mentions of assault, but nothing super graphic. I tend to gravitate towards descriptors rather than the physicality to get my point across, if that makes sense. Hopefully ya'll are okay with that. Just wanted to put that out there though first. Oh, also the title alludes to Hailey's last name (Upton) as it's all about her in this chapter. Jay's will of course allude to his name as well (just in case anyone was curious as to how the name came to be). **

* * *

Hailey finally regained both consciousness and feeling as the sun's rays shined brightly through her room. _Oh, the irony_. A sunny day with her dreadful disposition. She squinted, turning her eyes away from the window. Instead, she turned onto her side, inspecting the pain in her abdomen. The bruise was still fresh, a frightening purpleish blue tint taking over a good portion of her right side. She brought her hand down to the area, stupidly touching it even though she knew it would hurt. She just had to feel _something_, _anything_, to know she still could. She let out a sharp hiss through clenched teeth as her skin dented inward. _Yep, she's definitely got some bruised ribs, if not some kind of damage to her lung. _She let out a breath, which hurt even more than her touch did seconds ago. Her breathing was ragged, like she'd been running a marathon and didn't have any water at the finish line. She couldn't get out one solid breath for the life of her, and each time she tried, she felt her body seize up, and the air felt like poison in her throat. _What the hell happened? _She closed her eyes, knowing that even though she didn't _want_ to remember, she would have to when she was found to give a statement.

_Booth had her pinned during the ordeal, leaving her catatonic. No wonder she went numb. _She brushed her hand over her lips, feeling a tear in her skin. _He had bitten her bottom lip as he continued his agonizing slow movement overtop of her. _She shuddered, remembering what happened next. _He had torn her shirt, given that removing it completely seemed like too much trouble. His hands went exactly where she hated, his touch ominous and unrelenting. She still remembers the goosebumps that had erupted on her arms and legs. Those remained for longer than she liked to admit. One of his hands snaked their way down to her jeans, getting them to slip off easily despite her attempts to thwart this part of his plan. _

"_God, why–" she cried, and his gaze went right through her, scaring her into silence. _She thinks his hand must have slid over her, as she felt the ghostly presence of his fingers down there. Her hands immediately went to her thighs, which were also bruised from his hold on her. She felt fresh tears prick her eyes as her mind went to the most disturbing thought of all. _Had he, in fact gone farther than that?_ She distressingly tried to remember. She knew one way she could find out, much to her utter disgust.

She forced her eyes to scan the floor for the tell-tale foil wrapper. There was none. She shocked herself with her audacity to have some semblance of hope at this fact. _Thank god_. _But then how did she get that god awful bruise? _She looked down at her hands, which were doubled up with zip ties. If they weren't bound together, Hailey would have smacked herself over the head for her stupidity. _Of course_. She remembered now.

_She had pressed her luck by trying to get him to unlock her hands. Something about how she wanted this as much as he did now, or some other disgusting bullshit excuse. He must've been thinking with his _other_ head at the time, because he obliged her request. She took her chance, punching him square in the face before making a break for the door. She had almost made it when she landed face first onto the floor. Booth had caught her foot, but she used her other one to kick in his face. _

"_You bitch!" He spat out blood from his nose that had run into his mouth. Hailey scrambled to her feet again, but Booth was quicker despite his bloodied appearance. He tackled her, his body slamming hers into the wall, making her fold like a piece of origami. _

"_Ah!" She couldn't help but cry out as went down to the ground again. This time she barely made it to her knees before he dragged her up by her hair, only to deliver a string of razor sharp hits to her stomach. She dropped to the ground, staggered sobs coming from her lips. Between the pain in her body and the sting in her throat from the alcohol, breathing was becoming difficult at best. She felt her eyes start to close, and she let them, not able to fight back anymore._

* * *

Hailey quickly opened her eyes, letting out rapidly painful breaths due to the overwhelming shock that flooded her body. Oh god, she had lived through a nightmare. _But you lived_, she reminded herself. She felt a glimmer of hope come back into her heart, that if she had in fact survived, then maybe she could make it out alive. That thought gave way to a million other good ones, of course revolving around the one person she loved most in the world.

"_Hey! What're you doing?!" She saw him snooping in the shopping bags she had just brought back from the mall._

_Jay whirled around, embarrassed to be caught. His hands rose in defense. "Alright, alright, sorry. Can't blame a guy for trying." _

_Hailey rolled her eyes, snatching the couple of shopping bags up from the coffee table where she left them. "Yeah I can." _

_Jay scoffed. "Aw, come on Hails, I was genuinely curious. You never go shopping! You once told me you wondered how malls could still be in business since they were the one of the most boring places on the planet." _

_Hailey smiled at his recollection. "Yeah well, I changed my mind." She shrugged her shoulders, acting nonchalant as she skidded back to their room to hide the bags in her half of the closet. She had in fact surprised herself by deciding to go shopping. But it was all Kim's fault, if she was being honest. She recalled their earlier hangout together at the coffee shop. _

"_Wait, wait, wait. So you're telling me you and Jay haven't done anything new?" Kim's brows raised in surprise. _

"_What, like you and Adam _have_?!" Hailey replied, her brows rising equally. _

_A blush crept over Kim's cheeks, but she still answered Hailey's question, albeit vaguely. "Yeah, well, sometimes all it takes is a new outfit, and they're practically jello in your hands." _

_Hailey brushed off Kim's comment, but she'd be lying if she said she wasn't intrigued. Kim must have picked up on this, because she had pulled Hailey up from their table at CCC and walked over to the shopping center a couple blocks down. Kim stood Hailey in front of one of the quote-un-quote clothing stores, Sally's Intimates. "Really?" Hailey was dumbfounded. _

"_Yes, really, now come on!" Kim yanked her inside and helped Hailey pick something out. While they scoured the racks, Hailey thought back to her past encounters with Jay. They'd had fun, for sure, but she realized they didn't really do anything "extra." Maybe it was time to spice things up. _

"_Hailey, c'mere," Kim called. _

"_Yeah?" Hailey answered, walking over to where her friend stood. _

"_What about this?" Kim held up a pair of leather gloves and fishnet stockings that looked like they belonged to a dominatrix. Hailey adamantly shook her head no. _

_Kim sighed, putting the items back. "Well then tell me, what the hell _do_ you wear?" _

_Now it was Hailey's turn to blush. God, she just wanted to go home now. Her mouth must have disconnected itself from her brain because she answered Kim's question. _

"_I have this burgundy one, but that one's been well used. And then I just have like plain white and plain black sports bras, standard everything else. Jesus, okay, that's enough of that!" Hailey said, covering her mouth, turning to see if anyone heard her. _

_Kim chuckled at her bashful friend. "Hailey, no one heard you. Relax." _

_Hailey rolled her eyes, but continued on with the search for something new. 30 minutes later, just as she was about to throw in the towel, she saw something out of the corner of her eye. _Red_. Okay, that was a good sign already_.

"_Hey Kim," she paused, walking over to inspect the item(s) in question. "I think I found it." _

_She pulled it out from the hanger, earning two thumbs up from Kim. "Oh man, Hailey. Jay's gonna lose it when he sees you in that!" _

"_I hope you're right, because if this doesn't work, I blame you 100%!" Hailey chastised. _

_When she had returned home from the shopping center, she had two items in hand. One was the red ensemble from Sally's. The other was a red lipstick, because she never felt the need to wear any until now. _

Hailey's mind traveled back to the present past moment, when she had successfully hidden the items in her closet.

_She was startled by Jay's presence in the walkway to their closet. "Jesus, Jay, you scared me!" She punched his arm lightly. _

"_Sorry," he said, still craning his head to try and see into the bags. _

_She pushed him out towards their room. "Trust me babe, you're gonna be glad you were patient. Just wait till tonight, okay? We'll go to dinner and then we'll have some fun." She kissed him full on the lips, surprising Jay a little, but he nevertheless reciprocated. _

"_If it's anything like _that_, I believe you." He said, earning an appreciative laugh from Hailey. _

_Indeed, it was worth the wait, and worth the reaction she got out of him. His jaw was practically on the floor when she stepped out in the all-lace red lingerie set. She smirked as she made her way over to him, remembering to thank Kim for the brilliant idea tomorrow. But for tonight? He was all she focused on, and boy was it amazing._

* * *

"What the hell are you smiling at?" Booth's drunk and disorderly voice rang in her ears.

Hailey bolted upright, wondering how long he'd been there. "N-n-nothing." She stammered, cursing herself for this sudden weak voice that came over her.

"Nothing? I see your lying hasn't improved over the years, Hailey." Booth said, his hand slipping into her hair.

Hailey shook it away, but he gripped it tighter in his hand, making her scalp feel like it was on fire. "What was it!" She could smell the new bottle of whiskey on his breath.

"God, are you deaf? Did you not hear me the first time? Get it through your thick skull, Ronny! Nothing!" She yelled back, her feistiness coming back out to play.

He threw her back against the bed, looking down at her like she was pathetic. "Fine, don't tell me. But I've got something to tell you."

Hailey's ears perked up. Booth continued on: "The overprotective detective is back. I saw him and the rest of your unit congregating outside Statesville. They might be onto us. But you know what? Let them come. I've been wanting to see 'Ryan' again…tell him what a nice time we had together, what do you think?" He smirked, not really asking her, but more like taunting her with what's to come.

"Do whatever the hell you want to me. But I swear to god, if you hurt my team, I will come after you. If you even lay a hand on my partner, you're gonna be the one who wishes they were dead."

Booth laughed, the alarming sound jarred Hailey's ears. "Game on, sweetheart."


	6. Hold Steady

**A/N: As promised, here's Jay's POV. Hope you guys enjoy it. Oh, I don't know why I haven't mentioned it earlier, but the _italicized_ portions represent flashbacks. But then in the present day, the _italics_ convey the thoughts of a character. Hope that makes sense (if you didn't figure that out already - now ya know!) Thanks for all the lovely feedback so far! **

* * *

Despite not having any footage from where the items were purchased, when Hank and Jay interviewed the store cashier, he was able to pick Ronald Booth out of a suspect array.

_"_We got him now." Jay said as they headed back to the district. Voight nodded, but at the last minute, directed him to the prison as he got a call from Adam.

_"_What Ruzek?" He asked over the phone.

"Jay'll know who I'm talking about, but our lovely friend Officer Harris remembers seeing a uniformed officer speed off in a police car on Friday afternoon. He didn't think much of it at the time, because let's face it, he's a dimwit, but now that he's smartened up some, he thinks it could have been Booth."

_"_Alright. Have everyone gear up and meet at Statesville. We'll meet you guys there."

Voight hung up the phone and filled Halstead in on this revelation. "Those patrol cars save each route, don't they? We should be able to get his location from dispatch, right?" Jay asked, thinking each word out before he said it.

Voight pointed a finger at him as if to say 'good point, nice work.' They took off for the prison, hoping Jay's instincts were right.

When they arrived, Adam was being held back by Kevin and Kim, screaming profanities at Officer Harris, who looked to be equally as pissed.

"You jackal! You can't be fucking serious!" Adam shouted.

"It's outta my hands, boy!" The older gentleman fired back.

"Adam!" Kim harshly said, pulling him back as he pushed against her grip. Kevin held onto the majority of his weight, but it still took the both of them to keep him from ringing Harris' neck.

"What the hell is going on here?" Voight bellowed, Jay following behind, taking in the situation at hand.

"This prick says we can't get access to the patrol database because of prison ethics or some bullshit!" Adam said, raising his fists again.

Voight turned his focus to Officer Harris. "What's this now?"

Officer Harris held his hands up. "Hey, this is coming from my boss, alright. We can't just release information on our materials willy nilly."

"You got a funny way of saying 'here's what I promised you'" Voight gravely stated. He grabbed Harris by the collar, throwing him against the chainlink fence that barricaded the prison from the rest of the world.

"You told my people you had information that could help us. And now you play the blame game?" Voight's voice was incredibly low, almost imperceptible.

"I-I," Officer Harris cowered, retracting his earlier statement. "No, I'm not- it's,"

Voight interrupted, "If you say it's out of your hands again, you're gonna wake up breathing through your forehead. You follow me?"

Officer Harris never relayed information so fast in his life. Adam scribbled like the wind, sending it off over the police scanner. "5021 Ida, we got a suspect in an officer involved abduction. Last seen driving a police patrol car, license number Henry, Bob, 5428. I repeat, **Henry, Bob, 5428**. Suspect last seen outside Statesville penitentiary. Believed to have headed north. Requesting exact GPS location coordinates immediately."

"Copy that 5021 Ida. Putting out citywide BOLO for patrol car HB5428. Working on coordinates now."

* * *

Jay released a breath he wasn't aware he had been holding. His heart still felt heavy. What if they still were too late? What then?

_Stop it, _he scolded his brain._ You'll find her. _He forced air into his lungs, taking some much needed deep breaths. His mind found relief in the only person he knew of.

_"Will you tell me where on earth we're going?" Hailey asked him, his hands still clasped over her eyes. _

_"Ask nicely and maybe I will," he joked, feeling her signature eye roll underneath his palms. _

_"Jay Halstead, I swear-" she started, but when she heard his 'ah ah ah', she backtracked. "Fine, Jay, would you please tell me where we're going?" _

_He laughed, reassuring her he would. "Yes, I will, but I want you to guess once first." _

_Hailey huffed, but humored him anyhow. "Ooookay," she said, still walking in front of him down a hallway, at least she thought that's what it was, since she could feel walls on either side of her. _

_"Ummmmmm, I don't know, that new French place on 59th?" She guessed, pure uncertainty in her voice. _

_Jay chuckled. "Nope, although thank you for that idea. I'll keep that in mind for next time." He stopped moving, making Hailey freeze too. _

_"Aaaand why'd we stop?" She asked. _

_"Because we're here, and I'm gonna let go now." He whispered. _

_She came face to face with a door with the number 229 etched into it. She whirled around to face him, still not quite understanding. He nodded, deciding to push the door open to reveal the real surprise. _

_Inside the hotel room was a room serviced dinner, complete with steak, salad, and of course plenty of chocolates. And because he was complete mushball, roses were at the center of the table, along with a variety of flower petals scattered across the room. A card sat in the center of the bed, addressed to her of course._

_"Happy 6 months, Hailey." He gestured for her to come inside, but she couldn't feel her feet anymore. She brought her hands up to her mouth, a shocked expression on her face. _

_"You-" she paused, and he saw a couple tears in her eyes. She quickly composed herself, dropping her hands as she walked inside the room. _

_She picked up the card, reading the cheesiest, but also the sweetest note. 'Hailey, I love you. I honestly think it was love at first sight...or at least, lust at first sight because damn, I thought your wit was so sexy. But in all seriousness, you're the best thing that's ever happened to me. I know you say you're not into corny romantic gestures, but I've caught you watching 'Valentine's Day' and 'Gone with the Wind' - so I know you like those lovey-dovey things! I hope you know how special you are & you deserve the world. I hope I can give you a piece of mine someday. For today, I just want you to know how amazing you are. Love, Jay.' _

_"You did all this, for me?" She didn't mean for it to come out like a surprise, but that's honestly how she was feeling. No one had ever done anything this nice for her. Ever._

_"Of course I did." When she didn't immediately look at him, he panicked a little. "What, no good?" _

_Hailey's head snapped up, her eyes meeting his. "No, I mean, yes, it's great. I just, wow. No one's ever done something like this for me before." She admitted, glancing down, semi embarrassed at her confession. _

_Jay took a couple sidesteps over to her, pulling her chin up to face him. "I'd do this everyday for you if I could." _

_And Hailey knew he meant it. He always wanted the best for her, and believed in her more than she did in herself sometimes. _

_She wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him slowly, like it was the first time she had explored his lips. But she knew them well. Well enough to know that if they kept this up, they'd never make it to their dinner. Her mind flashed back to that fateful night in the hospital, and she smiled against him. _

_"What?" He questioned. _

_She shook her head. "Nothing. I just know you, and me; and I know if we get going, we'll never get to eat this glorious food. And I'm not about to waste a perfectly good steak," she quipped, patting her stomach. _

_Jay laughed, but nodded in agreement. "Fair enough." He surprised her by picking her up and carrying her over to their little table, where they did in fact, savor their food. _

_He kept sneaking glances at Hailey from across the tiny table. She had managed to get A1 sauce underneath her bottom lip, but still was going at her steak like a champ. He purses his lips, making her look up. _

_"What?" _

_Now it was Jay's turn to tell her 'nothing.'_

_She just mosied on through, digging into the salad next. She - not that he was entirely surprised anymore - finished her food before him, nagging him to hurry up or she was going to eat all the chocolate without him. _

_He cocked a brow at her as he was finishing the last bites of his plate. She still had the tiniest bit of that stupid steak sauce on her lip. _

_He reached over dabbed at her face with his napkin, successfully getting it off. _

_"Oh my gosh, why didn't you tell me I had stuff on my face, you jerk!" She said, half joking, half serious. _

_He smiled at her. "Figured you would've noticed eventually. But I forgot how focused you get on your food," he teased. _

_That earned him a chocolate strawberry smashed onto his mouth, but he'd never been happier to have her get it off with a series of sweet kisses. _

_"You're the best, you know that?" She said later, tracing the veins in his muscular arms, before moving along to his sculpted abs. Her words, not his. _

_He always got chills every time she traced her usual patterns on his skin, like she was committing the pathways to memory. He kissed her forehead lightly, making her shiver as he ran his hand down her back. _

_"Right back atcha, Hails."_

* * *

"Jay? Jay, you copy?" Adam's urgent voice made him look up from his daze in his truck.

"What?" He radioed back.

"We got a location. Let's go get that son of a bitch."

Jay copied, radioing their new pursuit to the operator. _I'm coming for ya, Hailey. _


	7. Going In Getting Out

Hailey must have dozed off because when she woke up, her ankles were bound together with ties too. Her mouth was sealed with duct tape, which made her regular breathing sound like a sledgehammer in her ears.

"Oh good, you're awake. Just in time too. Heard over the scanner that your team's coming to get you...or should I say, will attempt to get you. I'm not letting you go so easily."

Hailey tried to open her mouth to speak, momentarily forgetting the tape. "Mmm!"

This only amused Booth, who kept on his rant. "Besides, it'll be fun to watch them squirm. Not like they'll come in guns blazing when they know I've got you holed up back here. They know better."

Hailey glared at him, hoping to get across the message that he was insane.

"I'm sorry, what? What was that?" Booth mocked, which only made Hailey shoot more daggers at him.

She shook her head, deciding to save her energy. Of course that's when he decided to make his move. He came over to her, crouching down beside her like he did a few days ago. Hailey couldn't honestly fathom that she'd been held hostage for this long.

"Something to remember me by," he whispered, before forcing a kiss over her duct taped mouth.

Hailey felt her mouth close, even though she had the tape as a barrier. Her eyes squeezed shut, not wanting to remember his face.

The tape had started to come loose on the ends, probably from the heat, so Hailey tried to fling it off her mouth. Booth got another kick out of watching her struggle.

"If I take this off, you promise you won't scream?"

Hailey furiously nodded, hoping the jackass would believe her. She had another trick up her sleeve instead.

"Good girl," he said as he removed the whole strip of silver tape from her lips.

Hailey spit in his face, a small rebellion against him kissing her like that. Booth grabbed her by the neck, forcing her back down onto the mattress.

"What the hell is your problem, huh? **You want me to kill you right now**?!" He brandished a knife, making Hailey paralyzed from the neck down.

Her eyes were wider than ever, her breathing practically nonexistent. "No, no. I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Ok?" Her apologies were whispered, hoping she could hide the fear in her voice. It was the first time she realized how quickly she really could die at the hands of Booth.

She felt the coolness of the blade as he put it to her neck, further emphasizing his point. The demented laugh she'd become accustomed to roared from his lips as he stood up, shaking his head.

"Just sit there, and shut up." He tersely ordered. For once, Hailey did not object, because as he turned around to walk out, the faint sounds of sirens could be heard. And they were getting louder as the seconds ticked by.

* * *

"Adam, who the hell allowed you to drive these cars, man?!" Jay asked as he was slammed back against his seat for a third time in 15 minutes. "I mean good god, get it together! Or better yet, let me take the wheel!"

Adam shook his head, not looking at Jay because he was intensely focused on the road - which made his abrupt stops and swaying lane changes all the more chaotic to experience.

Jay grabbed ahold of the handle above his window, his knuckles white from gripping it so hard. "Okay, go left onto 54th!" He had been announcing directions over the scanner, but also loud enough so that Adam could hear him over their blaring sirens.

Adam made the turn, thankfully without the god awful sound of the tires squealing against the roadway.

"Down the alley then hang a left onto 52nd," Jay said.

They made a couple more half hazard turns before landing at their destination, the sounds of the rest of their unit's cars coming up behind them. 50th and Blanket Street was where the signal stopped.

"So where is it?" Voight asked for everyone. They didn't see a patrol car on the rundown street.

"Over here!" Kevin said, as he and Kim were already going through its contents.

The other 3 raced over, hoping to find some indication that Hailey had in fact been inside that car. They were just about to search the perimeter when Adam asked if they had popped the trunk yet.

Ruzek could feel Halstead's eyes cut into him at the grim possibility of what they could discover. But they had to know.

They opened the trunk, looking around for anything that would jump out at them. Jay had hung back a bit, not wanting to know if any pieces of Hailey were in there. He was forced to look up when Kim came over to him with a small cross emblem.

"Jay?" She cautiously asked. "Do you know what this is?"

Jay's eyes zeroed in on the little rosary chain. "Yeah. It's the uh, patron saint of officers...y'know, police, military, armed forces, and all that. I gave that to Hailey a couple months ago."

"So she was here," Voight deduced. He leaned in closer to the trunk, noticing a piece of white cloth. He leaned back a bit. "Probably chloroform." He said, bagging the piece of cloth.

Jay shuddered, thinking of Hailey being shoved in that trunk like she was garbage. God he could kill Booth, just for that. He didn't want to imagine anything else he was doing.

"Alright, so they couldn't have gotten far. Can't get a person out of sight from far away. Let's do a grid search, check all perimeters, see what we can dig up. Clear?" Voight asked his team.

A consensus of "yes" was heard, and they split off into duos and trios, taking time to carefully search the two rows of shack-like buildings.

Jay and Adam made headway on the first side, while Kim, Kevin, and Hank cleared the other side. _Where the hell were they?_ They circled back around to the stolen patrol car, frustrated that they didn't locate Hailey and Ronald yet.

"Okay, what're we missing?" Voight asked, as each of his detectives shared glances of uncertainty.

"Okay, just hear me out: if Hailey was still unconscious when she was out of the car, Booth would've had to take her somewhere close." Adam saw Jay tense up in his peripheral vision, but continued on anyway. "She's not heavy by any means, but dead weight is dead weight regardless. So he wouldn't want to make too much of a scene, right?"

Kim was the first one to nod, seeming to figure out what Adam was saying. "And if she _did_ wake up and make noise, Booth wouldn't want anyone to hear her... so what better place than underground to be hidden away from the world?"

Adam snapped and pointed his fingers at her, like '_yes, that's it_.'

More nods of agreement were shared amongst the group before Voight spoke up again.

"So let's look for the basements, the padlocked doors, the boarded up windows. Break it down, get inside."

They crept along the edges of the buildings, their movements as silent as could be. They bypassed the few houses that appeared to have actual occupants in them; and headed for the corner of where the buildings split into the two rows.

Voight spotted it first: a boarded up storm door, but what really got his attention was the broken in window. He shined a flashlight over to his location, readying his team to see if one of them could get a closer look. What they would find would shock them all.

* * *

Hailey was suspicious. Booth had yet to return from wherever he'd wandered off to; and while under normal circumstances she'd be happy as can be, this time it worried her. _Was he setting up traps for her unit to fall into? Would he attempt some kind of sneak attack?_ She wasn't sure, and that made her stomach churn.

She quickly rolled over to her side, fully expecting to be sick. Instead, she just dry heaved, which was almost worse given her labored breathing. She coughed, dabbing at her mouth with the back of her hand. She was just about to turn back over when she saw it.

A light. Hailey blinked a few times to make sure she wasn't imagining it, but it was the realest thing she's ever seen. The light danced in the shadows, bouncing around on her face and body. The blinding light caused her to look away, but she still took a risk and called out.

"Hello? Please, help!" She tried to shout, but it was strained and softer than she intended.

The light disappeared and her heart sank. _They didn't hear her_. But a couple seconds later, Hailey had never been happier to see her sergeant's face.

"Hailey?" Voight called, a whisper carrying far thanks to his booming voice.

"Yeah," she answered before her cough started up again. Dammit.

"Okay, Hailey, we're coming, alright. Sit tight." Voight said, moving over to let another face pop in. Hailey hoped for Jay, but she was still fine with Adam's.

"Hailey, are you hurt? Can you move?" Ruzek asked her from the window ledge.

"I've been better." She dryly answered, trying to laugh but it came out in bursts as her cough took over. She tried to move her hands over her mouth to quiet it down, somewhat successful. "I'm zip tied, legs and hands."

"Do you think you can break one of them?" Adam whispered to her.

Hailey gave it a couple tries before her annoying cough got the best of her, depleting her efforts. _Dammit_. "No go," she said, feeling slightly defeated.

"That's alright, Hailey. We're gonna send a couple of us down, alright?" Voight said.

"Okay," Hailey said.

Back outside, Jay wasn't above pleading his case to go in. Voight knew he wouldn't not to do it, so he let him. He sent Kim too, considering they were two of the smaller ones of their squad.

As Adam and Kevin broke down the door, Jay and Kim looked at each other, sharing a nod. _They would get her out, whatever it took._

* * *

Hailey was never so elated to see her team than she was in that moment. She wondered if there were a lot of rooms in whatever place she was holed up in. She considered calling out again, but was startled by Booth's return.

"Saw your friends outside. This'll be fun." He smirked, taking a seat calmly on the chair he had brought in. He seemed too relaxed, Hailey realized. She needed to keep him that way until her team came for her. She weighed her options, then was hit with an idea. What do bad guys like more than torment? Talking about themselves and/or their "genius plans." _Oh, the ego. _

"Where were you?" She asked flatly.

"Why, did you miss me?" He asked jokingly.

"No, I just-" she took a breath, choosing her next words carefully. "I guess I just don't get it. Why this? Why me? And why now? Like what's your endgame here?"

Booth leaned forward, propping his elbows on his legs, resting his hands together. "Well, I knew no matter when I got out, I was going to make you pay for putting me back behind bars. But then I remembered how much more fun it was taunting you, so I wanted to see how far I could go to break you down. Figuring out the whole you-screwing-your partner thing was just a happy accident. But it'll give me so much satisfaction to torment him. And the best part? There won't be a damn thing you can do about it. You'll know exactly what it's like to be dealt an unfair hand; with no way to help yourself out of it. You'll suffer just how I suffered!"

"I told you to leave him out of this! What, you can't let this twisted obsession of yours go, can you?"

Booth shook his head, laughing. "No matter. He's not gonna want you anymore anyway, guys don't deal with sloppy seconds well."

"**Shut up**," Hailey growled, the fire in her igniting a little bit.

What she didn't know was that Jay and Kim had managed to locate her room due to Booth's ranting and raving. Jay went first while Kim hung back a bit, in case Booth wasn't expecting multiple cops. Jay readied his weapon to shoot open the door when it popped right open.

"Perfect timing Jay." Booth said, that same stupid smirk spread across his face. He let the door slam, and because the universe perpetually despised them, of course it had to lock. _So much for their original plan_.

Jay still hasn't lowered his gun, keeping it trained right on Booth. He looked to Hailey, and her expression mimicked his own. A mix of terror and relief.

Jay didn't even bother to ask how Booth knew they were coming. He already knew he was good at outsmarting law enforcement. Booth must've read his mind, because he answered Jay's unasked question. "And I knew it'd be you they sent in. I mean, why would they send in anyone else, right?"

Jay looked from him to Hailey, the back again. He was a little confused by Booth's words, but he shook it off, finger still ready to pull the trigger if needed.

"Just let her go and we can all walk out of here, okay?" Jay stated as calmly as possible.

"Oh no, we're just getting started," Booth retorted. He motioned for Jay to sit down, but he refused. "Fine suit yourself," Ron said, taking back his original seat.

"What the hell else do you want from us, Ronnie? Haven't you done enough?" Hailey asked rhetorically.

"Not quite," he said, resuming his stance in the chair.

Jay took a couple sidesteps toward Hailey, wanting to render aide, but he wouldn't dare take his eyes off Booth.

"So, let me see if I understand this correctly," Jay surprised everyone by speaking up. "You wanted her, **because** she didn't want you? Do I have that right?" He asked, a dangerous attitude in his voice.

Hailey cocked her head, looking at him, trying to figure out if he was purposefully riling Booth up or not.

When Ronald didn't respond, Jay pushed further. "Because, from where I'm standing, doesn't seem like she wants anything to do with you."

Hailey tried to communicate a warning signal with her eyes to Jay, but he either didn't see it or ignored it if he did. _Shit_.

"Not what she said a couple nights ago," Booth made his voice known again. "She's quite the screamer..." It was his turn to smirk as he watched something change in Jay. Hailey noticed it too. _Oh no, this is gonna get real bad, real fast. _

"...But I'm sure I don't have to tell _you_ that, right?" He said pointedly, looking at Jay.

"Shut up Ronnie!" Hailey cried. "Jay, _Jay_.." she tried to get him to look at her, but he kept blinking, he like was trying to focus his energy again.

"I mean, hey man, I can see why you like her, she's a nice piece–"

Jay didn't let Booth finish his sentence, charging at him with fisticuffs as opposed to his gun.

"Jay!" Hailey wanted him to stop. She didn't know how far Booth would go, if he hated him just as much as he hated her.

Seconds later, Jay brandished his gun, putting it right on Booth's temple. "**Give me a reason**," he gritted, jaw hard and eyes piercing.

Of course Ronald did what he always does: a devilish laugh. "I mean, _damn_ I just feel bad for whoever the poor guy that's got to marry her; who would want her now?"

Jay slammed against the wall with his one arm, holstering his weapon in a split second with the other. "If you don't stop talking, I'm gonna put you six feet under, right here. We clear?"

Booth's expression didn't change. He simply continued on his taunt. "I'm sorry, did I hit a nerve? I-_oh_,"

Jay's expression turned from one of rage to one of slight confusion. In the same amount of time that took, he was suddenly the one being slammed into the wall.

"So **you're** the one that's got her then? Oh that is... that is fucking fantastic," Booth sneered. "Well then let me tell you how far your _fiancé_ allowed me to go..." he never did get to finish that statement, as Jay channeled his rage into his fighting, literally throwing Booth off of him.

Booth fell backwards to the ground, hitting his head, which Jay mistook for him being incapacitated. He ran to Hailey, barely getting a look at her face when she screamed, "Jay, look out!"

Jay whirled around, expecting a gun, but instead was met with a knife to his side. Hailey hadn't seen it coming either - she had simply seen Booth lunge for her partner.

Jay faltered, his face consumed by pain and his body immediately went into survival mode. His hand went directly to the wound in his side as he fell, trying to stop the bleeding. It wasn't deep, but that didn't mean it wasn't bad. He had no idea if the knife had nicked anything or not.

Hailey was still in shock, as if her world was in slow motion. But she somehow summoned all of her strength to rip the zip ties on her ankles. She winced at the burst of pain, but pushed through it as she saw Jay falling in and out of consciousness.

Her mind was racing, a stark contrast to the slowness she felt earlier. While Jay's name was the only thing running through her mind, Hailey quickly turned her focus to Booth, who had turned his back to her for a moment.

_It's now or never_. Hailey lunged at him, piggybacking at first, but then she wrapped her zip tied hands around his neck, almost like his own tragic rope. She dug her arms into his shoulders as her nails sunk into his skin. She was trying to subdue him, get him down to her level so she could have an advantage.

"Ah," Booth pushed at her hands, but it was like all of Hailey's pent up anger towards him was unleashed. She pushed off of him like a springboard, sending him face first into the wall; thankfully landing her back onto the air mattress. She cringed when she heard some part of Booth's face break; but she'd be lying if she said it didn't feel really good to see him slump to the floor like the scum that he is.

Hailey grabbed the knife from the ground, which he had dropped in the struggle. She almost lunged at him again, wanting to end it all for good. But she was stopped by Jay's soft voice. She first thought she was remembering it from last time, but then she realized it was actually coming from him now.

"Hailey," he picked his head up, but almost immediately sank back down.

"Oh god, Jay," she rushed over to his side, pressing on the wound too. The blood had stalled when Voight and the rest of Intelligence were called down, but Hailey still rode with Jay to Med, no if, ands or buts about it.

"Stay with me, Jay. You're gonna be fine." Foster was treating the wound en route, because the gash still looked rather harsh.

Jay hissed as the alcohol was poured into the cut, squeezing Hailey's hand automatically. She squeezed back, not minding one bit.

"You're okay, you're okay." She cupped his cheek, and he reached up and grabbed her hand, placing it over his heart... like he did all those months ago.

Hailey felt tears coming on again, signaling a whole hurricane of emotion. She was happy to know that Jay was alive, and safe. She was glad to be alive and safe as well. She was sad for all the pain she endured but satisfied with how it ended. She never thought she'd be happier letting her team get a retaliation hit (or kick, as Adam so demonstrated) on Booth. Normally she wasn't the "eye for an eye" kind of cop, but after all they'd been through, she could learn to live with it.

What she _couldn't_ learn to live with was a life without the one man she loved most. And she almost lost him again; and yet, there he was, still right beside her. Like he always has been, was, and would be. And she would always stay right there with him, for better or worse. Safe to say they could now check both of those extremes off their lists.

She only realized she'd been holding her breath when she had to let go of Jay's hand when he was rolled into Med. She exhaled, expelling all that rawness. She too was escorted into Med for treatment, but all she remembers is asking about him. Because Jay was the one person who mattered to her, even more than herself at times. He had come back for her, and she helped him get out alive. Most people would call that crazy, but for them, it was normal. She shook her head at that ridiculous, yet strangely pacifying thought.

Little did she know that would be her only moment of understanding to occur that day.


	8. Surprises & Setbacks

**A/N: And just like that, here's the second chapter of the night. This one's got a lot of emotion behind it, so get ready to go on a little bit of a rollercoaster. Without further ado, here's the next installment of my story. **

* * *

"White male, 30, victim of stabbing. Entry hit left side, unsure of how much blood loss." Maggie relayed the information to all the nurses and doctors as they hurriedly ran with the gurney that held Jay.

Hailey was close on their heels, never wanting to leave his side. Maggie had to grab her arm as they wheeled Jay into the Trauma wing. Hailey could feel her fear bubble up inside of her, which caused to her to have a bit of a panic attack. Her stressful breaths did no service to her bruised abdomen, so when she clutched at her stomach in pain, Maggie took notice right away.

"Hailey? Hailey, okay, can you tell me what's wrong?" Maggie tried to help her upright, but all Hailey could do was stay doubled over, letting out little spurts of "Mmm" and "Ga" – the general pained language that Maggie knew all too well. "Okay, that's okay, we'll get you checked out, alright?" She grabbed a free wheelchair, rolling Hailey over to the nearest available room.

"Any available doctors to Assessment, any available doctors to Assessment please." She paged over the hospital intercom. She was met at the door 45 seconds later by Dr. Manning. "Hey Natalie, we need to get a cat scan done on Hailey ASAP."

Hailey watched as Dr. Manning nodded, before she knelt down beside Hailey in the wheelchair. "Hailey, can you point to where exactly it hurts?"

Hailey pointed to her stomach, lifting up the CFD issued shirt Emily had given her in the back of the ambo. The bruise hadn't spread, but the coloring now resembled a stormy sky. "It hurts" she paused, "to breathe." She finished, groaning when she felt Natalie press her hand on her stomach.

Natalie stood up, whispering something to Maggie, before telling Hailey that they were in fact going to do a CT scan on her right away.

Hailey decided to save her breath, nodding at Natalie who wheeled her down to the machined side of the hospital. She was changed into her absolute favorite thing in the world, a giant paper bag (aka: a standard issue hospital gown) before being slid through the machine.

She stayed perfectly still, but couldn't help but gasp as she felt a cooling liquid being put onto her stomach.

"Sorry, Hailey, just need to do one more test." Natalie said into the microphone. Hailey nodded, as she was put back through for a second time.

"Got it," Natalie announced a few minutes later. "Alright Hailey, you can get dressed."

Hailey nodded again, slipping back into her CFD issued clothes. Her stomach still felt weird, but she just figured Natalie would explain that to her in a little bit.

She was wheeled out of the machine hall, but instead of being brought back to her Assessment room, Natalie took her to a private hospital room. "I just need to get the images from our scans, and I'll be right back Hailey, okay?"

Hailey grabbed at Natalie's hand before she left. "J-a-y" she whispered.

Natalie nodded, understanding Hailey's concern. "I'll personally see to his status for you, okay?"

Hailey nodded, using the sign language for 'Thank you' as Natalie left.

While she anxiously awaited the news of Jay, Natalie was anxious about Hailey's test results. The brunette had the images in her hands, going back down the hall to where Maggie's station was. While she wasn't there, Will was. Natalie played the '_should I, or shouldn't I?_' game for a moment, before deciding that she could trust Will enough to not blow the lid off this until she was sure.

"Hey Will? I need to talk to you about something."

Her former fiancé turned his head at the sound of her voice. "Yeah Nat, what is it?"

"It's about Hailey…and Jay."

* * *

Jay woke up in a fog, white light blurring with white shapes. His side hurt like a son of a bitch, but he felt like he could barely move. He tried to sit up, but he couldn't.

"Hm," he began, putting a pulse-monitored hand up to his head, which was also aching.

He blinked a few times as the blurred images from a few seconds ago came into focus.

Dr. Connor Rhodes was at his bedside, grinning victoriously as he rubbed his hands together in a 'done' motion. "And, we're all set." He was speaking to his assistant, but when he noticed Jay was up, he added: "And, you're awake. Welcome back, Jay."

Jay looked at him, then noticed his slightly bloodied gloves. _Oh good god, how badly did he get hurt_? He frantically searched for the source of the blood. Connor noticed the panicked look in his eyes, so he grabbed Jay's arms, pulling them back.

"Hey, you're good man. Just needed some stitches. It's gonna hurt like hell for a while, but you should heal up completely in a couple weeks, tops. Surface wound, the blade missed everything vital."

Jay exhaled, letting out a weighted breath. His mind took in the sight of his injury, which then made it flashback to how he _received _said injury. _Oh god, what about Hailey_?

"Hailey," he said, not as much of a question as much as it was a desperate wondering of his fiancé's condition.

"Hailey?" Dr. Rhodes' question was answered when Natalie came into the room.

"Hey guys. Jay, before you freak out, Hailey's alright. She's fine. Got a little bit scraped up by those restraints, but she's okay. I don't have her full workup yet, but they're working on it. You can come with me whenever you'd like to see her."

Jay's eyes darted around the room, from Natalie, to Connor, and back to the walls again. "Yes" was all he got out, but the doctors were smart enough to know what that meant.

Natalie smiled, and Connor gave Jay a handshake. "Alright," she said, "Let's go."

* * *

You know, Hailey thought she'd get a moment of peace when she got this private hospital room. But no, as soon as she had settled herself into her bed, another doctor came knocking.

"Yes?" Hailey asked.

"Hailey, its Will."

_Will? Oh right, Will! He'll know how Jay is! _

"Will, you can come in." Hailey sat upright in her bed now, anxious for the status of Jay's condition.

"Hey Hailey, how're you doing?" The older Halstead brother asked her.

She bit her lip, not wanting to scream at Will that _her_ condition was not what she cared about right now.

"Will, you know I appreciate the concern, but I just wanna know– "

Will cut her off: "–how Jay's doing. I know, I know. He's fine, I promise. But Hailey, there's something else I need to tell you– "

It was Will's turn to be interrupted by Maggie, who came in with a crash cart and a bunch of other things Hailey didn't immediately recognize.

"Alright Hailey, we can get started now. Will, you can step out," Maggie stated, before noticing Will's wide eyes.

"_Maggie_" he tried, but she kept on.

"Now Hailey, it's just a precaution, but we need to determine if you were raped for the sake of the investigation."

Hailey's mouth dropped open. Will's did too. Maggie didn't realize her error until she noticed their changed expressions.

"I thought," she looked at Will, who shook his head sadly.

"Oh, oh my God. Hailey, I apologize. I thought Will told you the reason why we needed to run more tests…"

Will shook his head again, looking apologetically at Hailey. He decided to quietly slip out, leaving the two women alone for a moment.

"Hailey, I– I have to ask, were you assaulted while in captivity?"

Hailey vehemently shook her head. "No, no…I– Booth, he," She paused, flashes of _that_ part of her ordeal coming back to her. _Booth's hands on her body. He had gotten her jeans off…oh god, was she wrong before? Had he? _ "No, no, I wasn't, I couldn't have been. He uh, I mean I didn't um…" she felt her cheeks heat up. She leaned in as close as she could to Maggie, before finishing her sentence in a whisper. "I didn't find a condom, okay? And I know he's not that stupid, so why do you ask?"

Maggie took in the information, and Hailey could almost see the gears shift in her head. "Hailey, I had to ask because: you're pregnant."

* * *

Jay's head was spinning as he was almost to Hailey's room. He could hear Maggie's voice, but not Hailey's. Natalie had left him alone as he made it to Hailey's hallway, so he was by himself as he heard the words that were worse than the knife that was in his side. **Booth. Hailey. Pregnant. **

Before his brain could catch up with his body, he had pulled back the curtain to Hailey's room. "Tell me it's not true."

Hailey lost all traces of emotion in her face. Maggie whirled around, shocked to see Jay in the entryway. "Wait–" Maggie tried, but Jay's intense emotions flooded the room.

"You–he–oh God. Hailey, you…you told me he _didn't_, you _weren't_…" Jay's fragmented sentences were like shots to the heart for Hailey.

"Jay," Hailey tried, but he was out the door before she could finish. "**Jay**!" She called after him, her voice breaking as she began to cry. "It's not what you think," She quietly sobbed. She wiped her eyes with her hands before looking back at Maggie. "Is it?"

Maggie blinked, almost like she couldn't believe what just happened either. "No, no, it isn't."

Hailey sniffled, and Maggie grabbed her a tissue. "Thanks."

Maggie offered a thin smile. "Sure. Let me go check this out with your information, and I'll be right back."

Hailey nodded, wishing she could just get up and run after Jay. But she couldn't. Her body physically wouldn't let her, and her heart was too broken to take it.

Back outside, Maggie conferred with Natalie and Will. "Hailey's sure." She told the former couple. Natalie and Will shared a glance, typing in a couple more things to the computer.

"Alright, here's what you were looking for, right?" Natalie asked as she handed Maggie the ultrasound photo.

"Yeah, thanks."

"Good luck," Will said.

Maggie smiled, before her face turned serious. "Will, the only luck you can give me is by going to talk some sense into your brother."

Will's brows furrowed. "What do you mean?"

Maggie looked at him with disbelief as his slowness. Natalie got it though, smacking Will on the shoulder.

"Um, **ow**?" Will said, looking at Natalie with a '_what the hell_' expression.

"You idiot. Jay knows, but something tells me he doesn't know that the baby's not Booth's. It's _his_."

Will didn't make it to tell Jay the news, because he was on the floor the second he heard it himself.

* * *

Jay had made it back to his room before he got sick to his stomach. He only coughed, some saliva being the only thing he worked up and out of his system. He leaned his head back against the cool tile of the hospital bathroom. He grunted as his earlier position stretched his side a little too far.

He sucked in hollow breaths, as he felt like his heart had just been ripped out of his chest. Booth's vile verbiage swirled around in his head, just about making him ill all over again. He ran his hands through his hair, taking a couple more breaths before his macho-man temper simmered. He smacked a hand over his face when he realized how stupid he'd been. _I've gotta tell Hailey_.

He sprang up, the pain in his side overshadowed by the will to correct his idiocy. He ran back down to Hailey's room, tearing back the curtain. "Hailey, I–" he stopped when he was faced with an empty hospital room.

His hands went into his hair again, panic and frustration getting the best of him. "Oh God, I'm an idiot."

He ran to the front desk, trying to find Maggie or Natalie, or hell, he'd even settle for his brother right now. He saw a flash of red hair and sprinted towards it. He was greeted by his brother, who was actually on the floor, Natalie leaning over him, fanning his face with one hand while propping his head up with the other.

"He fainted," she explained.

Will looked a little out of it, a lopsided grin coming onto his face. "You're pretty," he said to Natalie. His voice resembled that of a boy who'd just worked up the nerve to talk to his crush.

Natalie rolled her eyes. "He hit his head pretty good on impact."

Jay looked from her to Will, before shaking off all of their weirdness. Timing was simply not on his side today. He decided it'd probably be best to help Natalie get Will up though, so he assisted her in that endeavor.

Once Will was sitting up, ice pack pressed to the back of his head, he yanked Jay's arm. "_What_? _What_ Will?" Jay asked, slightly exasperated.

"I know something you don't know," Will singsonged.

Jay was the one who rolled his eyes now. "Natalie, did you give him something already?"

Natalie shook her head. "Nope, he's just really killing it today."

He turned back to his brother, whose eyes were now glassy. "Oookay buddy, we're just gonna lay you back down here," Jay said, leaning Will back towards the pillow.

Natalie had some pain meds in hand, but Will swatted her hand away, sending the pills flying all over the floor. "Will!" Natalie chastised, now distracted by having to clean up his mess.

Will took the chance and grabbed Jay's arm again. "You wanna know what I know?"

Jay forced himself to remain calm. He did _not_ have time for this. "Sure, what is it?"

"You're gonna have a baby," Will said matter of factly, before his head got droopy and he finally laid back.

Jay would've smacked him silly if it wasn't for his head hurting already. He looked to Natalie –who had just popped up from the floor – for some help.

"Will somebody _please_ explain to me what the **hell** is going on? What is he talking about? And where's Hailey?"

Will started giggling inappropriately, which Natalie solved by placing her hand over his mouth. "Ignore him."

Jay did, but pressed on. "Natalie, what is going on? Where is she?"

Natalie looked down, before a somber expression appeared on her face.

"She left Jay. She didn't think you wanted any part of it."

Jay felt like his head was going to explode. "Part of what, Natalie? You're making about as much sense as he is," he ticked his head towards Will, who was still trying to peel Natalie's hand off of him.

Natalie sighed. _Well, things couldn't possibly get any worse, could they_? "The baby, Jay, **the** **baby**! That baby is _yours_, you jerk. Booth didn't do what you think he did. She's about 10 weeks along, are you following me? _You're_ the father."

By some miracle Jay didn't faint like his brother, despite feeling lightheaded at this earth-shattering news. _My God, Natalie was right. He was a jerk. A complete asshole. He had to fix this. _He was still staring at Natalie, before his lips moved again. He was in such a daze that he barely remembers asking her anything. But he apparently heard her answer, because he dashed out the door after "borrowing" Will's keys. He hopped in his brother's car and drove off to the one place she would go to get away.

* * *

Hailey pulled the blanket tighter around herself. If that wasn't the first time she'd held an ultrasound photo in her hands, she would've ripped it to shreds, giving her emotional state and Jay's reaction.

_You said he didn't. _

_Yeah, I know he didn't. _Her mind fought back as she remembered Jay's angry words. When Maggie told her that she was almost through her first trimester (10 weeks to be exact), Hailey couldn't believe her ears. She backtracked, putting the pieces together. She and Jay had gotten back from California, still on that engagement high. _Of course_.

Hailey grabbed another tissue from the now almost empty box. She dried her eyes before looking down at her engagement ring. _Now that_, her mind tempted her, _she could do without for now_. She hastily took the ring off her finger, before throwing it across the floor of her old bedroom.

She let out a sob, burying her face into her floral pillow. _She just thought he'd be happy. _But as she choked on her tears, she couldn't help but wonder: _Was she happy too? _She gripped the ultrasound photo tightly, almost bending the corner back a bit with how hard she held it.

The black and white photograph showed a little blob the size of a strawberry. It was curved up and into the upper quadrant of Hailey's stomach, on the opposite side of where her bruise was thank goodness. When Maggie told her that the baby wasn't affected by Booth's attack, Hailey almost broke down right there on the hospital floor. _At least there was that little piece of happiness she could take_. Her mind was still racing while she was at the hospital, so she irrationally thought the only solution was to leave. To get away from Jay and the whole thing completely, at least for the rest of the day.

Her parent's house looked just about the same as the last time she was here. She sighed, remembering the last time she was here it was with Jay. She got up and decided to walk around the house, hoping to shake him off her mind entirely. As fate would have it though, she passed by a couple new photos her family took of the two of them. One was of Jay and Hailey sharing a look as they sat by the pool together; while the other was one she had sent them of their engagement. In both pictures, his eyes were lit up, and her smile was evident. She barely got a smile out in the present moment before some more tears came.

She went to the first-floor bathroom to grab a tissue, and as she got one, the doorbell rang.

She rolled her eyes, even though she figured she knew who it was. _God, what else could he possibly have to say?_

Her thought was interrupted by his voice. "Hailey? Hailey, please, I know you're there. Please, baby, talk to me. I'm so sorry, I–"

She threw open the door, not speaking. Jay took a step towards her, but she took one backward, so he decided to stay where he was. "Hailey, I…I can't really explain what came over me. I don't know if it was instinct or insecurity, or what, but I never should have reacted like that. **I am** **so** **sorry**. I know I hurt you, I know. I," he paused, and Hailey noticed he was teary eyed as well. "Please, Hailey…_please_ say something."

Hailey snapped up, her voice jumping out of her throat. "Say _what_, huh Jay? What the _hell_ am I supposed to say to you? God, I–" she paused too, as she felt the waterworks again. "I thought…I thought you would've been happy. I guess I thought you would have known it was yours. I thought…I thought you would've had more trust in me than that," she finished, her voice now clipped and hard.

Jay reached for her hand, but Hailey wretched it away. He retracted his hand, placing it down at his side. "Hailey, there was no excuse for how I acted. I'm so sorry, I didn't mean for it to seem like I wasn't happy. I just– it's a lot to wrap my head around, you know?"

She scoffed, not believing that _that_ was all he garnered from her confession. "**Yeah**, **I know**." Her voice was dripping with a sad sarcasm, and she looked at him for a long time before she whispered, "Just go, Jay. Please, just leave me alone."

Her mouth trembled as she said this, especially when she saw his do the same. His head sank, and he left without a word.

Hailey shut the door, not even making it to her sofa before the forceful, gut wrenching sobs took over. She simply slid down to the floor, in despair over how things went from being so good to being so horribly, horribly bad.


	9. Malibu Nights

Jay drove until he ran out of gas. It was nearing midnight, but he didn't care. He pulled the keys out of the ignition, leaning his head back on the seat. He opened his mouth to let out a scream, but instead it twisted into a saddened sound. He kept replaying the last 24 hours over in his head, going round and round until each memory blurred into the other. He banged his hands against the steering wheel in frustration, wondering how things went from 0 to 100 in 5 seconds. _Well, your stupid male protective reproductive drive didn't help, _he reminded himself. He shook his head, tempted to go drown his sorrows. As he looked out the window, he saw a bar not far from where he was. The neon sign flashed, pulling him in; but he knew it wasn't what he should do. But what he wanted to do, he also could not accomplish. _She needs space. _He sighed, his mind going back to a time with a much happier Hailey, and definitely a much less stupid Jay.

"_What're you doing?" He asked her as he put dinner on the table. _

_Hailey glanced up from her seat. "Just admiring," she said wistfully, holding out her hand again._

_Jay smiled at her. "I did a pretty good job, huh?" He winked as she mumbled a 'yeah, yeah.' But it wasn't lost on him how the sparkle in her eye matched the ring's gleam. He loved seeing her happy – and he especially loved that he could make her happy. _

"_So, we obviously know how each other's days went," he joked, locking eyes with his fiancé. Hailey nodded as she stabbed a piece of chicken cacciatore. "Then let's talk about this dinner. Babe, how did I not know that you could cook like this?" _

_Jay smirked at her surprise. "Because you never asked." _

"_Oh, okay," Hailey quipped, rolling her eyes. _

"_I mean, to be fair, it is like the only dish I can make flawlessly." He answered, looking down for a second. "My mom told my brother and I that we should each have at least one dish we could cook like master chefs, so she helped us pick one. You know I love anything Italian, so I picked this one. I obviously didn't use the wine as a teenager, but hey, I've grown up since then." He said, attempting to lighten the mood after the sadder mention of his mom. He didn't often talk much about her, and it was the first time Hailey heard him mention her. _

"_Aw, Jay," she said, reaching across the table to grab his hand. "I didn't mean to–" _

_He squeezed her hand, shaking his head in reassurance. "No, no, you didn't. It was actually one of the good memories I had with her, you know, before she got sick. It's alright, really." _

_Hailey gave him a soft smile, squeezing his hand back before releasing it so they could get back to dinner. "I'm glad you have those memories with her. She must've been a special woman." _

_Jay looked up, a little bit daydreamt. "Yeah, she was. She would've liked you; course she also would've been like 'Jay, why didn't you ask her sooner?!' She always wanted my brother and I to settle down right quick, like kids and all by 30 or something." He tapped his fork against his plate as he recalled this. _

_Hailey smiled slightly, before saying, "Sounds like she and I would've gotten along just fine." She bit her lip, not knowing if she should press yet another touchy subject. _

_Jay must have noticed this, because he tapped her hand with his. "Hey, what is it?" _

_Hailey shook her head, still pulling her lip between her teeth. Jay tried again. "Hailey?" _

"_Do you, um, or I mean, did you ever think about…" she laughed nervously. _

_Jay's brows arched up slightly as he looked back at her. "Having kids, you mean?" He smiled when Hailey sheepishly nodded. _

"_Sorry, this is so not dinner time conversation–"_

"_Yeah, but I didn't know for sure until you–" _

_They both talked over each other, Jay looking perplexed, while Hailey's reaction changed from one of anxiousness to one of awe as each took into account the other's words. _

_Jay's brows knitted together, while Hailey let out an audible gasp. Her shock spoke for her. "You...you really mean that?" _

_Jay nodded, grinning like an idiot as Hailey let a few happy tears fall. _

"_Of course I mean it. Hailey, I've seen how you are with your niece, and any of the kids we've rescued on duty. You're so giving, and nurturing, and you just light up around them. I don't think there's anyone more deserving of being a mom than you." He told her, before cheekily adding: "Besides, they'd have the best eyes in all of Chicago." _

_She sniffled, smiling through her tears at him. "Can't argue with you there." She got up from her chair, coming over to kiss him for being the sweetest fiancé in the world. _

_He surprised her by grabbing at her waist and wrapping his arms around her. He picked her up, and for the second time in a year, they forgot all about their dinner plans. "Wanna give it a go?" He asked as he walked her down the hall towards their bedroom. _

"_You're an idiot," she laughed at him. _

"_So that's a…?" Gone was the mischief from his eyes, and in its place a little lust. _

"_Hell yes," Hailey huskily answered, kissing him passionately. _

He smiled to himself, remembering how the moment meant more to him than just sex. _Though that was pretty great too_. He finally admitted it out loud, that he wanted more with someone…well, not just someone, but with _her. _Hailey was everything to him, and that's when he realized that even though he'd apologized, she hadn't heard what she needed to hear from him.

He quickly put his key back into Will's car, forgetting his empty gas tank. "Shit," he cursed, searching for his phone. _Well, so that takes care of Will and Natalie. _He dialed the only person he could think of who would be down for a "save face" mission.

"Hey Adam, it's Jay. I need your help."

* * *

"Hey Jay, what is it?" Adam asked, looking over immediately to his side to see if he woke Kim. _Crap, crap, crap, _he mouthed to himself as she stirred next to him.

"Hmm, Adam, what's-" she mumbled. Adam dropped his head. _Oh that's just great. _

"Nothing darlin', go back to sleep," he whispered before turning his cell back to his face. "Jay, you there?"

"Yeah, I'm here."

"What's up? What do you need my help with?"

"Well, first thing's first, I need a ride."

"Okay," Adam looked at his watch. 1:05AM. _Eh, I've been out later_. He shrugged, hanging up the phone before quietly getting up to throw on some clothes. He couldn't turn the light on to look for his shoes without disturbing Kim, so he figured his flashlight on his phone would work. Too bad his groggy state caused him to shine it directly into his eyes on accident. He stumbled backward, effectively tripping over said shoes in the process.

"Aw, son of a-" Adam stopped mid curse, forgetting Kim was still asleep. He knew he'd failed at keeping quiet when she sat up, calling to him.

"Adam, you okay?"

"Yeah, baby, I'm good. Just tripped on my way to the bathroom. I'll be back in a sec," he scrambled to his feet with shoes in hand, a nervous chuckle escaping his lips before he could stop it.

"Adam," Kim said with her stern 'bullshit' voice. "What aren't you telling me?"

More nervous laughter. "Look, I don't even know what's going on to be honest with you. I just have to go get Jay, okay?"

"From where? _Mexico_? It's 1 o'clock in the morning!" Kim retorted.

"I don't know, he'll probably text me in a minute with his location. Don't worry about it."

Kim scoffed, climbing out of bed and pulling a sweatshirt on over her plaid tee and pajama pants. "Oh no, I'm worried about it. So, that's why I'm coming with you."

Adam huffed. "Darlin', Jay's gonna-" he abruptly stopped as Kim gave him another look, one that meant '_you better not say what I think you're going to say.' _Adam shut up, Kim successfully tagging along with him to find Halstead.

* * *

Hailey had given into sleep, something her body was craving after the waves of emotions she felt today. Her mind had quieted, until the wind picked up and the trees surrounding her parent's house rapped against the windows. _That_ startled her awake. Well, so did the pain in her side, but she was too stubborn to admit that it was because she shouldn't have left the hospital. The dumbest thing crossed her mind, making her laugh and subsequently tear up. She didn't even know if she could take ibuprofen while pregnant. _Oh my god, shouldn't I know this? Jesus, Hailey, think. _She sighed, deciding to get up from her old bed and venture downstairs. She heard the pitter-pattering of rain as she descended the stairs. Normally she didn't mind the rain, but it only served to further dampen her mood (pun not intended).

She curled up on the sofa, wrapping the blanket from earlier around her body again. The naive part of her wanted to be back at Jay's apartment, curled up next to _him _instead of the dusty rose pillow of her parent's couch. But, the stubborn part of her overruled, making her stay put so she could sort through all these feelings she was having. _And of course being pregnant drives your hormones wacky_, she reminded herself. She forced her mind to think about how _she _was feeling given the current situation. She had given _his_ thoughts enough time in her own head.

She was, at the very core of her being, happy about the news. She had always wanted kids, to be a mom. She just hadn't found the right person who cared about all that as much as she did. Not many guys she knew wanted to settle down; and none of them ever got close enough to her to know that it was one dream she had. Not even Adam. They never talked about in-depth _anything_, let alone a future together. But with Jay, god Jay was different. Even before they started dating, she connected with him on a deeper level than most; certainly he was the closest partner she'd ever had. _And now we're supposed to be life partners? We obviously aren't doing a stellar job right now. _Her emotional mind was manipulating the situation, she knew that much. But, was it right? Were they rushing things? What if the baby was supposed to be a stop sign rather than an unexpected bump in the road?

She forced the tears back into her eyes, finding herself smiling again - this time at the memory that came back to her.

_They were already in the heat of the moment when Jay paused to make the weirdest comment. "Is it green or blue eyes that are the recessive gene?" _

_Hailey almost burst out laughing, literally having to bite her tongue. "Hm?" She hummed, not daring to open her mouth. When he didn't immediately respond, she leaned back in to kiss him. She was almost at his waistband when she heard him mumbling again. _Okay, so we are gonna do this now, _she reasoned. She kissed her way back up to his lips when he grabbed her hand, wrapping it in his, all while looking deep into her eyes. It was so impassioned that she got lost in him, not even realizing he had flipped them over until she was peering up at him. He never once broke eye contact with her. She just wished she could read his mind. _

_"So," he paused, kissing her. "Do you think" he kissed her again between phrases. "blue or green?" _

_She attempted to answer as he now made his way down her body. "You're _seriously _discussing biology with me right now?" She got out that quick quip before she unraveled. _

_"So what if I am?" Jay replied, a tiny bit of snark in his voice. _

_"Then you are seriously-" she sucked in a breath as her body tensed up. "the most confusing man ever." _

_Jay looked at her, deciding to come back up. Hailey gritted her teeth. _Damn him. _She was _this _close. "And the most frustrating," she sassed, not above begging at this point for him to finish what he started. _

_"Yeah, but I'm also the best, right?" His voice now showed more sarcasm. _

_"Uh huh, yeah, sure," Hailey breathed, trying not to wind herself back up. When he didn't make any sudden movements, she relinquished her stubbornness, answering Jay's ridiculous (okay, fine, and cute) question. "Okay, fine, if I tell you what I think, then will you _please_ just–" _

_His hand trailing up her leg made her gasp and bite her lip. _

"_I'm listening," he teased, getting dangerously close again. _

Oh no, two can play this game, _Hailey thought. She mimicked his actions, but started from his chest and worked her way down. _

"_Y'know, it's really not gonna matter if we keep testing each other like this, babe." She winked, but let him win anyway. "But if you must know, blue's recessive, green's _dominant_" she emphasized her final word, hoping he'd get the double entendre. Considering that was the last words heard from them for the rest of the night, safe to say he got the message._

Hailey snapped her eyes open. She hadn't fallen asleep, but she wasn't entirely awake either. She was kind of in this half-dreaming, half-realization stage. She was so out of it that she thought the knock on the door was coming from her memory. It took her a minute to realize that no, it was very much real. When she heard Adam's voice, she decided to get up and go answer the door. _Because what else could possibly happen tonight?_

* * *

Jay was pacing outside of his brother's car, not even caring that it had gotten cooler in the night air. He saw Adam blink his headlights, and went over to his car. He was just about to hop into the passenger seat, when he saw it was already occupied. As soon as he saw Kim's face, he turned right around, dead set on going back to his car and give up on his plan.

"Jay, wait a minute," Adam said, throwing his car in park and running after his friend.

"You brought her?!" Jay accused, his voice angered slightly.

"She invited herself," Adam started. "And besides, she was wondering why the hell I was up at 1AM….and frankly, so am I. Why am I here, man? What's going on?"

Jay dropped his head into his hands, sighing. _Well, tonight couldn't possibly get any worse_. He came clean to both Adam and Kim about everything that happened with Hailey.

"...And so now because I was such a monumental asshat, she wants nothing to do with me." He finished, trying to keep his voice as monotonous as possible.

Adam patted him on the back, while Kim's sympathetic look stayed on her face since the start of the conversation.

"Jay, I'm sorry," Kim offered, reaching over to pat his shoulder. Jay nodded, thanking her.

"So what can we do?" Adam asked, genuinely wanting to make this right for Jay and Hailey. They deserved at least that, after all they had been through.

"Well, like I said, I need a ride. Aaaaand someone's gotta break the news to Will about his car. I'll probably punch him in the nose if I go back to the hospital because he's very loopy after fainting…"

Adam and Kim's confused expressions prompted him to clarify. "He fainted after Natalie told him about the baby."

"Ah, okay" Adam and Kim said in unison, motioning for Jay to continue.

"But what I could really use are some chocolate, and some roses. So I guess I need to stop at the store before I go to Hailey's parents' lake house."

Kim nodded, looking at Adam. "Alright, well I'll go in with you to the store, because let's face it, you need all the help you can get."

Adam chimed in with "And I can drive you to Hailey's after that whole shebang is done with."

Jay nodded. "Thanks guys. I really do appreciate it."

"Alright! Now let's go win over Hailey!" Adam cheered on, making Kim and Jay laugh on the way back to his car.

* * *

Hailey walked to the door, still wrapped up in the blanket. "Adam, what in the world–"

She was surprised when Adam and Kim parted to reveal Jay, standing there with chocolates, roses, and that heart-melting little smile on his face.

Hailey's mouth scrunched up, slightly baffled by the betrayal, to which Adam and Kim promptly ran back to their car, out of sight (and out of Hailey's wrath).

"Jay, I… what is all this?" She asked, gesturing to his gifts for her.

"Can I please come in? Please, Hailey…" he voice cracked, which of course made her heart sink.

"Yeah, sure." She moved out of the way to let him inside.

He didn't try to give her a hug or kiss or anything like that, instead simply setting the roses and chocolates on her coffee table before he sat on the sofa. "I just wanna explain." His green eyes were glassed over. Hailey had the odd question of _wait, was he crying too? _She shook it off as she sat down next to him, leaving a little bit more distance between them than normal.

"Okay," she whispered, softly sighing. "Talk."

Jay took a deep breath before going into his speech. "Hailey, I know I've been a colossal moron,"

"Hey, no argument there," Hailey said starkly, raising her hands in mock defense.

Jay nodded. _Yeah, I deserved that_. "But I also know what I should have told you earlier tonight. I hope it's not too late for me to tell you that I am happy for you, and for me. For us. That baby…_our_ baby, is going to have the best mother on the planet."

He paused, gauging her reaction. Considering she didn't smack him upside the head, he kept going. "And I'm sorry I overreacted, you didn't deserve any of that. I jumped to conclusions, and I didn't let you explain, like you're so graciously letting me do right now."

He saw her swish her lips from side to side, like she was trying not to smirk or smile at him. _Getting there_. "I mean, I don't know if you'll remember or not, but remember that night I told you that I never thought I'd want kids until I met you? That's still true Hailey. I never doubted you, or that we could have our own family together. I'm so sorry if what I said or did tonight made _you_ question that. I love you so much, the last thing I'd ever want to do is hurt you…" he sounded like he could have gone on, but Hailey was well versed in the signs of Jay's vulnerability to know that he was reaching his limit of exposure, of feeling. _She didn't want him to hurt either. No matter how crazy things got, he was her one constant, that one person she'd always go back to. Home…he was her home. _

She reached for his hand, and he half expected her to simply hold it, intertwine her fingers with his like they usually did. But instead, she surprised him by placing a light kiss on it, before placing it over her heart. She was smiling, but he could see her eyes were still saddened by the residue of tears. He honestly felt just about the same; but he appreciated the sentiment more than she could possibly understand. _Course who was he kidding? She understood him better than anyone._

"Thank you, Jay, I really mean it. I'm sorry if I jumped to my own assumptions; and I'm especially sorry I ran out on you. I didn't mean to leave you…I never want to leave you. I love you, you…dummy." She relented, that grin he loved so much taking refuge on her face.

"I love you too, Hailey. And I love this little guy…" he stopped when she arched her brows at him. " –or _girl_" he saved himself. "So much." He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, and she leaned into him, resting her head on his chest. Jay kissed her forehead, before looking down at her.

"So we're good?" He asked, sincerely wanting to know the answer.

"We're good." She whispered, kissing his cheek.

"And we're always gonna be good?" He finished, latching his gaze to her.

"Always, Jay. Always." She peered into his eyes, taking the time to memorize this moment with him. She kissed him slowly, wanting it to last. She wanted it all to stay like this forever.

_Because maybe they really could make it. Hell, they'd made it this far, right? He loved her, he wanted to grow with her; as she did with him. She remembered why she fell in love with him in the first place. Because even after everything, their souls…that place where their values lied…were the same. They understood each other, connected together for as long as they'd known the other. _

Of course her inner monologue was broken up by the hoots and hollers of Adam and Kim, who Jay had completely forgotten were still outside. _Oops_. Hailey got up, taking Jay's hand as they met them outside her front door.

"Wahoo! Thank the lord!" Kim said, a huge excited smile on her face.

"Way to go guys – this little guy" Adam caught Hailey's stare "or _girl_ is gonna be the best thing ever! Couldn't be happier for you two." He pumped his fists in the air, hugging the both of them tightly.

"Now I hate to break up the love fest, but I am freezing. Can we _please_ come inside?" Kim pleaded, her eyes saying '_please don't make me drive home with this goober'_ (referring to Ruzek). Hailey chuckled at that, as did Jay. Adam of course, was as oblivious as ever. Or delirious from lack of sleep, as they all probably were.

As the night settled around them, the 4 colleagues gathered around in Hailey's house, sitting by a fire and enjoying the rest of their time together. _A happy ending to a sad story. Who would've thought?_

* * *

**A/N: Decided to put the author's note down here for once - just to reassure people that: _NO,_ this is not the last chapter of this story. Don't worry - there's more to come for our favorite duo! Hope ya'll liked this one though. Still quite a bit of emotion – but then ya know, a little something extra to break it up haha. Oh, and the title is from a song by LANY ("Malibu Nights") – I saw it on YouTube and it was playing in the background of what else...but a Jay Halstead video. So there ya go, in case that odd phrase jumped out at you. **


	10. Reality Check

**A/N: Gotta give a shoutout to vanchi1211 for the little burst of inspiration for the beginning of this long chapter (aka: having Jay and Hailey looking for her thrown engagement ring together). A little bit of a trigger warning: there will be mentions of assault in this chapter, in regards to what Hailey went through w/Booth. Apologies if I didn't give a heads up or disclaimer earlier in the story. Alright, I think that's it. Dive in - and happy reading! **

* * *

"I still cannot believe you woke me up at _4AM_ to help you look for your ring…damn Hails, I really fucked up last night, didn't I?" Jay half joked, but was also half serious.

She smiled at him as she grabbed some plates for breakfast. "I know, I'm sorry. But I legit remembered it right then, and I felt terrible about it…" she said, putting the plates on the table before coming back around behind him to hug his waist. "But you gotta admit, you got a pretty good reward for finding it, don'tcha think?" She splayed her hands on his chest before kissing his cheek quickly, giving him a second to process _that_ eventful part of their night.

Jay stood there for a second, a little awestruck, to be honest. _Damn she was definitely treading a thin line. Adam and Kim were just down the hall…_ He almost had half the nerve to kick them out so he could return her favor. He shook his head, turning his focus to helping her finish setting the table. He grabbed 4 glasses and the napkins as she arranged the plates and silverware.

"Nice work," she said, raising her hand in a high five. Jay accepted it, chuckling at how quickly they could go from sultry to silly.

"Hey, can you wake Adam and Kim?" She asked. "I gotta go throw my robe on…I am still so cold!" She ventured down the hallway, before hearing Jay's version of a wakeup call.

"Hey, Ruzek, Burgess! Up and at 'em guys!" he yelled from the exact spot she left him at. She rolled her eyes, shaking her head at his goofiness.

"Well I could've done that," she remarked.

"Well then, why didn't you?" he shot back.

She laughed as she heard her guest room door open, revealing a bed headed Adam and a still half asleep looking Kim.

"Heyyyy guys," she called out, gesturing for them to come to the table for breakfast.

Kim groaned, and Adam wiped the sleep from his eyes. "Mmm, mhmm, hey you two." He grumbled, taking the closest chair. Kim filed in next to him; Hailey and Jay sat across from them.

They dug into some western style eggs, which Hailey explained, "are her favorite to wake up in the morning." The spicy kick from the peppers and hot sauce definitely energized the quad, and they were ready to go to work in a flash.

"Alright, come on, come on," Ruzek called to Hailey and Jay from the driver's side. Kim was in the passenger seat, bouncing up and down after her 3rd cup of coffee.

Hailey and Jay raced out of her parent's house, holding hands and laughing at running a little bit behind schedule. _Hey, not her fault that Jay decided payback would occur during her shower. She was just glad Adam and Kim found solace in her backroom with the golf course and other sports activities. _

"Helloooooo, earth to the lovebirds!" Adam called again, making the couple look up at him. "Let's go! Voight may give us a pass, but Platt will definitely have our asses if half of our unit is late!"

Jay and Hailey snickered, but agreed with him. They quickly climbed in the back of Ruzek's car, making the hour drive in roughly 35 minutes…only because Adam flipped on his siren, mind you.

* * *

"Nice of you four to grace us with your presence." Platt deadpanned as Hailey, Jay, Adam, and Kim arrived at 8:15AM.

Adam nudged the other 3, confirming his earlier suspicions. Hailey and Jay grimaced, while Kim gave her boyfriend a sympathetic look. "Sorry" they mouthed to him.

"Sarge, did I tell you–" Adam tried to save them all, but Platt put her hand up.

"Don't even try it. You and Burgess get your asses upstairs. I gotta talk to these two knuckleheads." She said, looking at Hailey and Jay, before dismissing Adam and Kim.

"**HA**" Adam mouthed on the way up the stairs. Kim shoved him up the last two steps, scolding him and mouthing a "Sorry" to Hailey and Jay.

"Okay, time to get serious," Platt said, her tone softer and sans sarcasm. "You two are required to get re-evaluated by Dr. Barnes this afternoon. I know it seems like an ambush, but it's not, alright? We just knew that if you knew about it sooner, you'd try to wriggle out of it. No exceptions, just go get it done."

Hailey and Jay stood open mouthed, looking from Platt back to each other. They didn't say another word as they wandered aimlessly up the stairs. _So much for that._

* * *

"Hi Jay, nice to see you again." Dr. Barnes began her schpeel with a smile.

Jay figured the least he could do was be polite, so he returned the smile.

"Are you ready to get started?" She asked him, pen and clipboard in hand.

"Sure." He tried to vacate any emotion from his system, hoping it wouldn't register on whatever test he had to take to be evaluated.

"Alright, first please fill out this basic questionnaire." She handed him a half sheet of paper with 5 questions on it:

_Name:  
__Occupation:  
__Marital Status:  
__Diagnosis/es:  
__Anything else you would like the provider to know:_

Jay filled out his answers:

_Jay Halstead_  
_Detective in the 21st District, Intelligence Unit of the CPD_  
_Engaged_  
_PTSD_  
_Are joint sessions an option? Since Hailey and I have grown closer over the last year…_  
_Maybe it could help? Just a question. No need to read too much into it, doc._

He handed the paper back to her, and she skimmed over his answers. "Good, good. I'll circle back around to those, but now I'm going to ask you a series of questions, which you'll answer aloud to me, alright? You can get comfortable, close your eyes, lie back, whatever you feel like."

Jay nodded, deciding to plant his feet more firmly on the floor while leaning back so his head hit the brim of the couch. "Alright, fire away."

_Have you experienced a trauma in your life?  
__Yes._

_How many traumas over the last, 10 years?  
__6._

_ What's most distressing to you in this very moment?  
__Honestly? These questions._

_Do you think you need to be back in therapy?  
__Not really, no. But like I said, perhaps doing a session with Hailey, if possible may help us __both out._

_ Tell me why you think that.  
Well, since Hailey and I have been together for a while now, and we've been through a __lot of trauma together (unfortunately), I feel like we could both benefit from hearing __each other's sides of things… maybe learn new ways to help each other._

_ Tell me about the recent incident.  
__Do I have to?_

_ No, but if you want my professional opinion, if you can't confide in just me, how can you __confide in me, and Hailey together in this room if we did pursue a joint session?  
__Fair enough._

_ Whenever you're ready.  
__Well, it's not exactly my story to tell, but as I'm sure you know already–_

_ Jay, talk to me as if I do not know anything. I am simply an observer today.  
__Okay… well, my fiancé was abducted on Friday, October 10. We recovered her safely on __October 14__th__, at approximately 12:20AM. She was assaulted by escaped convict Ronald __Booth, who had a history of being obsessed with her. Hailey was beaten up, taunted, __not to mention psychologically and emotionally toyed with. I was sent in to retrieve her. __Booth and I got into an altercation, and while I held my own for a good while, he __surprised me with a sneak attack. I was technically stabbed, but it was simply a surface __knife wound. I, along with Hailey, were both treated at Chicago Med._

_ And what do you think affected you more? The physical injury, or the emotional turmoil __you faced when you saw Hailey in that position?  
__Seeing her in that horrible place…with that monster of a man. He kept verbally sparring with me, saying all sorts of vulgar, disgusting things. He tried to drive a wedge __between Hailey and me. And, dammit it almost worked too. I think that's what's tripping me up the most, Dr. Barnes. The guilt I feel for getting sucked into that douchebag's lies._

_What do you think you can do about that now?  
__Well, Hailey and I did get a chance to talk and straighten things out, but there's still that __little bit of anger and resentment I have…towards Booth I mean, for what he did to her. __But, then again like I said earlier – I just hate that I let him get inside my head like that .I think he enjoyed taunting me just as much as Hailey. God, maybe that was his real plan all along._

Dr. Barnes looked up at Jay from her clipboard. "Alright Jay, you can open your eyes now."

Jay didn't even realize he had closed them until she said that.

"How do you feel?" She asked him.

"That was….draining. Very draining." He answered, sighing.

"Well Jay, I applaud you for your honesty. Because of this, I do think it would be beneficial for you and Hailey to have a joint session with me. I'll know more for sure once her individual is done; but I'll speak to both of you when the time comes, okay?"

"Sure. Thank you."

Jay ventured back out to the waiting room, where Hailey sat, tapping her toes anxiously. He gave her shoulder a comforting squeeze before Dr. Barnes called her in. "Hailey, you ready?"

She sighed before giving Jay a soft smile. "Yeah, I am."

* * *

"And how are you today, Hailey?"

"I'm alright, how about you?"

"I'm good, thank you," Dr. Barnes said, pen tapping against her clipboard. "I'm assuming you know how this works."

"Yep, just let me have it."

Dr. Barnes sighed at Hailey's misplaced enthusiasm. "Now Hailey, you're sure you're ready?"

Hailey looked at the older woman, before looking down again. "No, but I know I should do this. It's supposed to help, right?"

Dr. Barnes smiled, "Yes, that it is."

She gave Hailey the same half sheet of paper as Jay, and she filled it out about as quickly:

_Hailey Upton_  
_Detective with CPD's Intelligence Unit  
__Engaged  
__Anxiety, mild PTSD(?)  
__Am I right to say I have mild PTSD? Because I know Jay has experienced it for a great __length of his life; whereas I've only began to experience the flashbacks. I worry about __him, I guess. I mean, we're going to start this new life together and my past just came __barreling through, ruining everything._

Dr. Barnes read over her answers, before asking her a series of questions which she would answer aloud.

_Have you experienced a trauma in your life?  
__Yes._

_How many traumas over the last 10 years?  
__4._

_ What's most distressing to you in this moment?  
__The future._

_ Why is that, do you think?  
__I hate not knowing what's going to happen. I just want us to be okay._

_ And by "us", you mean you and Jay, correct?  
__Yeah. I mean, we're engaged now, and we're supposed to be planning our wedding; not going through all this again._

_ So do you not think you need therapy anymore, Hailey?  
__No, it's not that. I'm sorry, I wasn't meaning that it wasn't helpful. I'm just frustrated, like I wrote on the paper….my past just came out of the blue and screwed it all up._

_ Hailey, do you recognize what you're doing?  
__What do you mean?_

_Think back to those distortions we practiced.  
__Oh, that. Yes, I suppose I am disqualifying the positive. There are good things that have happened despite the awful ones. Our engagement. This baby. So I know we're going in the right direction; I just want to know that Jay's okay – that we're on the same page still._

_ We'll circle back to that in a moment, but first – can you tell me why you're so distressed about the experience you faced? __Because I was helpless. I felt so weak and guilty for letting Booth get to me like that. While he didn't sexually assault me, he pretty much had his hands everywhere else. I felt so…dirty, and there wasn't anything I could do to stop it. He'd already threatened me, and I didn't want to lose my life by trying to be heroic…even though I usually wouldn't have given it a second thought. That's supposed to be our job….as cops, I mean. We sacrifice ourselves for others._

_ But Hailey, were you a cop while this was occurring?  
__No, I was off duty. A civilian._

_ And why did you decide to take measures to save your life as opposed to losing it?  
__Because I had someone to who needed me. I couldn't have imagined Jay finding me….barely alive or worse in that god-awful place. Besides, I needed to get back to him. I love him so much, and so I guess that hope kept me alive. That I'd see him again, I mean._

_ So then how is that a bad thing?  
__I… well, gosh now that I've said it out loud, maybe it's not._

"Okay Hailey, you can sit up now."

Hailey unhooked her arms from under her knees, which she had pulled up onto the couch.

"And, how do you feel now? How was this for you?"

"Honestly, that was a _lot_ to process. But I do appreciate you helping me reach a more realistic conclusion."

"So Hailey, as you know I just saw Jay prior to you. While I cannot discuss specifics, I do have permission from him to tell you that he was curious as to your opinion about doing a joint session."

Hailey's brows knitted together. "A what now?"

Dr. Barnes smiled. "A joint session, as in the both of you would come in together to talk to me."

Hailey took in the doctor's words. "Oh, I didn't know that was an option. Honestly, yeah that might be good for us. Because I wanna know where he stands on things, as I'm sure he does with me."

Dr. Barnes nodded, scribbling some more notes onto her paper. "Wonderful. I will pencil you guys in for tomorrow, that way we can get this underway while it's still prominent. Sound okay?"

Hailey nodded. "Yeah, sounds just right."

* * *

"So, what do we got?" Voight stood at the white board, marker in hand. It was a new day at Intelligence, and his team was bright eyed and bushy tailed, ready to take down Chicago's worst criminals.

"Woman in Humboldt Park made threats against her ex-husband; man went back to her house late yesterday evening and strangled her." Kim said, handing Voight the appropriate photos.

"And the ex is still in the wind. Patrol canvased the neighborhood, but haven't been able to locate him. Marshall Patterson, of Englewood – that's who we're after." Kevin added.

Voight nodded. "Have we run his info? Car? Credit cards? Come on, give me something."

Ruzek came running up the stairs, waving a few papers in his hands. "Sorry boss, just caught this off a traffic cam on 66th and Remington. It's Marshall, facial rec confirmed it and I pulled his vehicle info. White Ford, license plate RT555."

Voight grabbed his jacket, prompting everyone else to do the same. "Let's move."

The team raced down the stairs, splitting off into pairs: Kim and Hailey, Jay and Adam, and Kevin and Voight. Their cars sped off, horns blaring just as much as their sirens. When they were close to their target, Voight relayed a command. "Box him in. Adam, 1. Kim, 2. I got 3. The dead-end alleyway will serve as 4." A string of "copy that's" were said back in confirmation.

Adam sped down 65th, while Kim went around to 64th. Voight came up on Remington, leaving the corner as their fourth point. Just as expected, Marshall zoomed right into their trap. What was unexpected was that he wasn't afraid to play bumper cars with CPDs own.

Before anyone could make a move, he backed up and plowed right into the side of Ruzek and Halstead's car, sending them sideways into the fence. Voight's radio call to them – as well as their responses that they were okay – were drowned out by the screeching of Patterson's tires. He made a quick 3-point turn, intent on going for Kim and Hailey's car next. Kim floored the accelerator in reverse, but they were stalled by a truck coming opposite of them at the street.

"Shit," Kim cursed, not knowing what else they could do.  
"Floor it," Hailey said.  
Kim looked at her like she was insane. "What?"  
Hailey put on her officer voice. "Kim, I outrank you, I'm telling you to floor it. **Now**."

Kim's eyes burned into Hailey's. "Hailey, you're crazy. He's not gonna take the bait. I will not endanger you or that baby any more than we probably already have!"

Hailey wouldn't budge. "Kim! It's either that or we play Connect 4 with the semi behind us! Now do it!"

Marshall's car was only feet away from them, but Kim shifted gears and sped the car forward. Both she and Hailey were thrown back into their seats. "Come on, come on," Kim prayed as they neared each other's hoods.

They had been so focused on avoiding a car crash that they hadn't stopped to consider if Marshall had any other weapons on him. They had their answer when bullets ricocheted off their windshield.

"Shit," Kim said, as the glass cracked, making it difficult to see.

"Kim!" Hailey screamed, as one of the bullets blew out a tire, skidding them directly into the brick wall.

Marshall, satisfied by his efforts, checked his rearview mirror to back up and take out the one remaining car. Luckily Voight was quicker on the jump, having gotten out of his car and readying himself and Kevin, plus Jay and Adam on the opposite side of the street with their rifles.

"Light it up." Voight ordered. Jay, Adam and Kevin wasted no time emptying bullets out onto Marshall's car. It took 8 to finally stop the rig from moving entirely, one being a fatal shot to the driver's neck.

"5021, get me an ambo and Squad on the scene now! I've got officers with possible injuries!"

Voight, Atwater, Ruzek, and Halstead ran over to Burgess and Upton's vehicle when they didn't see either woman emerge from the wreckage.

"**Hailey**!" Jay couldn't hide the panic in his voice. It wasn't _just_ her that he was concerned about anymore.

"_Kim_?" Adam called, distress evident in his voice too.

"5021 David, emergency. _Where's that ambulance_?!" Kevin shouted into his radio.

"5021 David, ambulance about 5 minutes out."

Voight cursed. "Do whatever you can to get them out!"

Kevin, Jay, and Adam looked at each other before the three of them tried to find a way into the car. Voight kept on the radio with the operator as the ambulance got closer.

"Hailey! Hailey, can you hear me?" Jay called. He saw her blonde hair from the passenger seat, but she wasn't moving.

"Kim? Kim, talk to me!" Adam begged. A small bit of relief was granted when her eyes fluttered open.

"Adam…what's…?" Her voice was groggy, almost like she had been knocked out by anesthetic.

"Hey baby, it's okay," he stopped when he saw Kim's eyes become the size of balloons.

"Oh my God, the **baby**!" She cried out, desperately trying to turn to see if Hailey was alright. "Adam, I'm pinned in, I can't get to her!" She said, painful growls coming from her as she tried to pull herself out anyway.

"Ambulance is 2 minutes out!" Voight told them.

The 3 men shook their heads. "Kev, help me out!" Adam called. He turned back to Kim.

"Cover your eyes." He ordered. She immediately put her arms over her head as she heard the glass break around her.

"Got it!" Adam and Kevin went to work on attempting to get Kim out, while Jay was left floating out to sea with nothing much as a life raft.

"**Guys! Can you see if Hailey's conscious?!**" He yelled, the edge in his voice making everyone stop in their tracks.

"Mmm," All their heads then turned to the mumble in the passenger seat.

"Oh thank God. Hailey?! Hey, can you hear me?" Jay shouted. Her head lulled to the side, making him worry that she was gonna pass out again. He had to do _something_.

"Kev, gimme your jacket," Jay ordered instead of asked.

Kevin slipped it off and gave it to him. Jay wrapped it around his arm and hand, finishing the job of breaking the windshield before anyone could object. The way the car was positioned, you could sort of climb onto the hood and work your way over to the passenger side, which was slightly crushed into the wall. That's exactly what Jay planned to do, much to his colleagues' dismay.

He hopped up onto the front of the car, before pushing the remaining broken glass out of the way. He got onto his stomach, sliding over towards the passenger side where Hailey was.

"Hailey," he tried. "Hailey!" A bit more force behind his voice was met with her blue eyes, which had sprung open again.

"Hailey, are you hurt?"

"No, no, I don't think so…the airbag deflated," she said, her left hand immediately going to her stomach. "Everything's okay," she said, her eyes shining. Jay placed his hand over hers, a happy sadness coming over the both of them.

"Ambo's here!" Voight announced as the red lights flashed in front of the car.

Brett and Foster jumped out, followed close behind by Severide, Capp, and Tony. "What'd we got?"

Adam answered for everyone. "Kim's pinned in the driver's side. Hailey's stuck in the passenger."

Jay tugged on his arm. "_Adam_," he hoped he didn't have to completely breakdown in front of his unit right then and there. Not everyone knew about Hailey's pregnancy yet.

Adam looked at him, getting the message. "Get Hailey first, _please_."

Severide looked at them. "We've got a better angle at Kim first, so getting Hailey will be easier once Kim's out…"

Jay's voice commanded the conversation when he shouted: "KELLY, PLEASE. SHE'S **PREGNANT**, OKAY? _PLEASE_!" He choked on his last plea, sadness overtaking his whole body.

He didn't have time to look at the shocked faces of everyone who this was news to. He dropped his head in his hands, letting himself disinegrate a little at the thought of Hailey being in another dire situation. Adam tried to get him to step back, but he said he wasn't leaving until he knew she was alright.

Meanwhile, Kelly took action immediately, ordering Capp and Tony to get the jaws and a jacket. When the two firefighters returned with the materials, they went to work. Capp put the jacket over Hailey while Severide pried her side of the car off of the brick wall.

"Tony, get me a bed!" Kelly said. Tony raced back and forth, yellow sliding bed in hand.

Capp and Severide got the door open, and slid Hailey out from the car. Tony helped carry her over to Foster and Brett, who were ready to check Hailey out for any injury.

Over to the side of the ambulance bed stood Jay, never taking his eyes off his fiancé. He watched as they asked her a series of questions, to which her voice softly responded to. Her pupils were checked, as was her breathing.

"She's good," Brett said, as Foster was finishing her check on the baby.

"Heartbeat's strong. No damage to the fetus." She reassured, to which both Jay and Hailey looked at each other, grinning like they'd just been told they won the lottery.

"We'll still run her to Med to have another ultrasound done, but she's out of the woods." Foster said, following Brett up to the front of the truck. Jay hopped in the back just before they closed up, holding Hailey's hand the whole ride there.

* * *

"Aaaaand, done." Dr. Halstead and Dr. Manning smiled at Hailey.

"You know, Hailey we ought to start charging you and Jay a rate for how often you two have been in over the last year!" Will joked, earning him a punch in the arm from Natalie.

"Ignore him," she said. "Hailey, everything's right on track with the baby. The earliest we can determine the gender is in a couple weeks, so you two will just have to sit tight and be patient. But, we can certainly get that appointment scheduled for you if you want."

Hailey looked at Jay, who was still holding her hand. Her eyes were beaming at him, and he nodded. "Yeah, can we do that?" She asked politely.

Natalie nodded. "Certainly. You guys are free to go after we get that done."

"And don't forget to tip your doctors!" Will chimed in, clearly on a roll with the jokes. Natalie shoved him out of Hailey's room, looking back at the couple and shaking her head like 'sorry he's like this.'

Jay and Hailey laughed, and for the first time since the day began, things felt calmer, more peaceful than ever. Their fingers intertwined, and their smiles never left their faces as Dr. Manning came back in to set up their next appointment. _Their baby was okay. They were okay. Together, they would make it through. _

"Oh crap, Jay! We have to go to our session with Dr. Barnes! We can't go home just yet," Hailey reminded him as they had almost reached his truck.

"Shoot, you're right. Okay, it's okay, I'll drive us to the district. It'll be okay." He reassured her, helping her up into her seat.

She smiled down at him, loving how he could always ease her mind. She just hoped that calmer feeling would stick around while they were going through gruesome details of their ordeal.

When they arrived, they were greeted by Platt, who was doing the weirdest thing: she was smiling.

"And there they are!" She gushed, coming around and hugging the two of them before they even knew what was happening. "Oh my gosh, I am so happy for you two! This little one is gonna have the best Aunt Trudy!" She cooed, her voice becoming baby-ish as she looked towards Hailey's stomach.

Hailey caught Jay's wide-eyed expression as it mirrored her own. _Of course_. "Uhh, thanks Trudy. But Jay and I have to go meet with Dr. Barnes now, so we'll have to talk later." She said, hopefully nicely enough to get them off the hook.

Platt actually sounded bummed out by this news, but let them go on their way.

"Phew, dodged that bullet, huh?" Jay snickered.

Hailey laughed. "For now, anyway!"

They laughed all the way to the office at that thought of Platt actually liking children. Their cordialness was halted by Dr. Barnes' open door, which signaled them to come inside.

"Ready?" Jay asked Hailey.

She took his hand. "Yeah, yeah I am."

* * *

They walked into the office, taking seats on the couch across from Dr. Barnes.

"So, I heard about the accident today," the therapist began.

Hailey and Jay shared one of their looks. _Oh, goodie, we're starting off on a lovely note_.

"Yeah, thank god nothing horrible happened though," Hailey said, squeezing Jay's hand. "Besides, you should've seen this guy…went all out Spiderman to get me out of the car!" She said, trying to lighten the mood.

"Hey, I'd walk through fire for you," he replied, pulling her hand up to kiss it.

"You're sweet," Hailey said, kissing his cheek.

"Well, I'm glad no one was seriously hurt. And Officer Burgess is okay as well, I assume?"

"Yeah, her leg was just a little bruised from being trapped under the wheel, but the doctor said she'll be good as new by next week. The airbags really saved our asses…if they hadn't opened up, it would've been a lot worse," Hailey said, her voice getting a little less fun and a little more somber.

Jay picked up on this, making her look at him. "Hey, hey, you're okay. Kim's okay. _Our baby_ is okay. We're good." He smiled sweetly at her, caressing her cheek.

Hailey smiled back. "Yeah, you're right."

"So, I know you both had expressed interest in doing this joint session. How about you share with each other why that was?" Dr. Barnes looked to Jay first, so he began.

"Well, I just wanted to make sure that Hailey and I got all we could from therapy, and I thought that maybe if we both talked about things, we'd be able to see things from the other's side, if that makes sense."

Dr. Barnes nodded, looking to Hailey for her turn.

"And I just wanted to make sure we're still on the same page with everything…especially given all that we've gone through lately. And besides, I go where you go, remember?" She caught Jay's eyes, knowing he'd remember saying that very phrase to her.

The rest of their session followed this model: Dr. Barnes would prompt them when necessary, but for the most part, she let Hailey and Jay speak to each other, talking things out and putting the pieces together in their own ways.

"I think I spent so much time being angry while we were searching for you that I kind of froze up when we did actually find you, Hails. God, I was so angry at Booth for knocking you out and treating you like trash that I couldn't even let myself emotionally process what else he did."

"Jay, you know he didn't…I mean, I'm sure that would've been his end goal, but I think he wanted to mess with my mind more than my body. I just want to make sure you know that."

"I know, Hailey. I always knew that deep down. But I think that not being able to process the possibility let my mind run with it…and I obviously thought the worst. I'm sorry I hurt you in overreacting."

"I know you didn't mean to. I know you didn't mean any of it…I mean, I remember seeing you last year when De'Von brought you out…I wanted to kill him right then. But then when I thought it couldn't get any worse, it did…and I– god, I completely lost it at the end. I don't know if you remember, but it was like a horror movie playing out in real time. I don't think I'd ever yelled as much as I did for them to stop hurting you. I never wanted anyone to rot as much as I did him." Hailey paused, grabbing a tissue to wipe her eyes.

"I'm so sorry you had to see that, Hailey. But I'm even more sorry that you were in that position in the first place. God, if I had been there for you before Booth grabbed you…"

Hailey touched Jay's face, making him lock eyes with her. "Then what? He would've hurt us both, probably worse than he did. I couldn't forgive myself if something happened to you, just because he hated the thought of anyone else having me."

Jay sucked in a breath, a little bit of rage at Booth's disastrous obsession with Hailey. "You're probably right. He was a madman. I don't think anything would've convinced him otherwise, regardless if we were actually together or not. He just knew how to get to me…I hated that he used you like that." He grabbed a tissue this time, and Hailey held his hand closer.

"Jay, you know I would've done anything to stop him from hurting you. Even if it meant he had to use me to get whatever kind of strange victory he desired. I would've rather it have been me that took the knife instead of you, because I saw red when you collapsed there. I would have killed Booth if he hadn't kept clawing at me. But when I heard you, that was all I cared about. That you were alive, and that you weren't gonna leave me."

"I'd never leave you Hailey. I wouldn't have ever given up on you either. I knew we'd find our way back to each other, whatever it took."

Hailey dabbed her eyes some more as the tears kept coming. "I love you."

Jay's eyes searched hers. "I love you, too."

If Dr. Barnes hadn't dropped her pen on the table, they would've forgotten she was in the room with them.

She grimaced. "So sorry, so sorry." She whispered, motioning for them to carry on.

Jay and Hailey looked at each other, green mixing with blue for the longest time. "We're good," they said simultaneously, sharing a grin at that.

"So, do you guys think this helped you to see the other's side of the situation?" Dr. Barnes asked.

"Yeah, I had no idea Hailey could relate to being so emotional like I was…I didn't realize that the, uh, traumas could kind of tie into each other like that." Jay answered, getting quiet as though that was the wrong answer.

"Jay, that's great insight. Yes, you are correct in that traumas can volley off of each other. That whole adage of 'everything happens for a reason?' That can kind of relate too. Even the bad things in our lives are meant to teach us something, or to show us something else beyond it."

Hailey nodded. "Yeah, I mean, without any of what happened over the last year, we wouldn't have ended up here, where we are now. Not that I wanted to tell Jay my feelings for him while chained up, but at least I finally did." She shrugged, unsure of her response as well.

"Hailey, what you said makes sense too. Sometimes the best things can come out of the unexpected. Was that what you were getting at?"

Hailey nodded, looking back to Jay, only to find him looking at her already.

"What?" She asked.

"Nothing, I agree with what you said. While what we went through was not fair in the least, it did get us here, to where we are. And now the _3 _of us can move forward from here, you know?" He replied, wrapping his arm around her.

Hailey leaned into his embrace. "Yeah, in a way it was kind of like a reality check. Like shit's gonna happen, but we've gotten through it before, we can get through it again. We've gotten through everything else together, and that's how we'll keep making it work now."

"Couldn't have said it better myself."

They turned back to Dr. Barnes, obviously satisfied with their discussion. The older woman looked from one to the other, nodding her head in a proud fashion. "Very good, very good work indeed. I have faith that the both of you will handle this new chapter in your lives with grace and strength. I'm always here if you need me, but for now, I think you've got the one person you need." She winked, earning arched brows from her patients. Nevertheless, when Jay and Hailey walked out of the office that day, they couldn't help but think she was right.

In lieu of that, when Platt dropped the bomb that Booth was requesting their presence before his sentencing, Hailey and Jay simply looked at each other, communicating their newfound confidence that they could take this on like they had everything else before: _together_.


	11. Black & White

**A/N: Hi everyone - sorry about the delay in updating...had a few things life-wise I had to deal with. But I'm back with a new chapter for ya. Definitely shorter than my last, but still important for the storyline to move along, despite the fact that it may feel like a filler chapter. Hope you like it anyway. Thanks! **

* * *

"Jay, are you ready to go yet?" Hailey called to him from the couch. She was slipping her shoes on when she saw her shirtless fiancé do a mad dash to the closet. She chuckled, rolling her eyes at his hurriedness.

"Almost, babe!" He called back. He came back a minute later with a black tee shirt on. With the black pants and shoes, you would think he was going to a funeral. Course Hailey's black jumper didn't help things either. In a way, _even though neither would admit it_, it was kind of like going to a dreadful event. Booth wanting to see the both of them? _Why in the hell would he want to see them?_ It's not like he was going to apologize, that much Hailey knew. She had half a mind to call it off, but she remembered Jay's words to her last night:

"_You sure you wanna do this, babe?" She had asked him as she sipped tonic water while he nursed his beer. _

_ "Yeah, because as much as I wanna kill him, I know that it'll help me get closure from the situation. Just to see him rotting in that cell like he deserves. But I'm only going if you go. We're in this together, remember?" He nodded, peering up at her with one of his signature looks. This one read more like 'I'm with you 100%, no matter what' which comforted Hailey. _

_ She snuggled up to him, curling up and feeling all warm and fuzzy just from his presence. She loved that they were in a better place than they were just a week or so ago. Part of her knew that it was just her anxiety talking – saying that if they went to see Ronald Booth it would derail their progress – so she wanted to prove to herself that she could do this. And when she looked up at Jay, whose green eyes never left hers, she knew she could. Because he was right. _I go where you go.

So she persevered, taking some calming breaths on their way to county lockup. Booth was there until his sentence was set in stone, then he'd more than likely be transferred to a maximum level facility (to ensure no more escape plans could be implemented). When Jay parked their car, she noticed that his hands were white; he had been death gripping the steering wheel.

"Hey, now it's _my_ turn to ask: you okay to do this?" She tapped his shoulder from the passenger seat. He looked at her quickly, before looking down to his lap.

"Yeah, I mean, no…I mean, I'm good."

Hailey pursed her lips. "Your cover's not that good, Jay. I can see something's bothering you." She remembered when she said a similar sentiment to him a couple years back. _You cover well, but I got eyes Jay_. Same still held true apparently.

"He's gonna be behind the glass, right?" He asked, like he genuinely needed the reminder, even though he knew the process.

"Yes," Hailey reassured him, taking his hand in hers.

"I just…I want you to be safe, that's all I care about." He said, pulling her hand so that she slid a little bit closer to him.

Hailey placed her free hand on his cheek. "Hey, I'm gonna be fine. You sure _you're_ okay?"

Jay gave her a soft smile. "If you are, then I am."

Hailey smiled, kissing him before releasing their hands so they could out of the car. "Good. Now let's _both_ go get some closure."

* * *

When they walked up the steps to the entrance, their deep breaths were in tandem. Hailey felt like she was releasing all the tension from her body, but she could tell by the way Jay was still rather rigid that perhaps his were all about becoming less angry.

"Right this way," the guard said, motioning them to step forward into the hallway. They secured their materials in a locker before the iron clad gate was opened. The loud buzzer was jarring for the couple, who hadn't been in the county jail in ages. Usually once the criminals were arrested, their job was done. They didn't do the rides down to Statesville, or wherever the low lives ended up.

"Thanks," they said in unison, before they were told to be seated. The guard stood at his post while another sheriff brought Booth out to his side of the glass. It wasn't like the movies: there was no phone to speak into, no speaker that would make that annoying static sound. No, what stood between him and them was one pane of bulletproof glass.

And yet, when Ronald glowered at Hailey, all she wanted to do was break that glass so she could put an end to his miserable life. He looked so smug, like he was still in control of her somehow.

Jay never let go of Hailey's hand, which she appreciated: one because it kept her from completely losing it, and two, it grounded her. Kept her set in the now instead in the 'then' which is what Booth reminded her of.

Jay must've sensed her change in demeanor, so he tried to take control of the situation. "Why are we here?" He asked, starting off the conversation.

"Why do you think?" Booth retorted.

"Cut the crap," Hailey spat. "What the hell do you want?"

"Now is that any way for a mom to be to talk? Hailey, I'm shocked," he devilishly said.

Jay felt Hailey squeeze his hand so hard that he almost couldn't feel it anymore. _Shit_.

"I-" Hailey stuttered slightly, her eyes bouncing from Booth to Halstead. _How could he have known?_

That horrible laugh came back to haunt her as Booth leaned in closer to the glass. He was so close that when he spoke his next words, they could see his breath fog up. "I thought congratulations were in order, that's all..."

Hailey clenched her teeth. "You wanna know what you can do with that congrats, Ronnie?" She sputtered, which only seemed to amuse Booth more.

"Oh Hailey, come on now, no need to be crass..." Ronald's smirk took over his face.

"Listen, you son of a bitch," Jay shouted, standing up and getting close to the glass too. His voice was edgy and hard as he said the next sentence. "You don't get to talk about my fiancé, or our child. Do you understand me?"

Booth's lip curled up into a mischievous smile. "Well, we all know I've done more than that with your fiancé..." he sneered, before turning to Hailey. "Or did you forget?"

"Go to hell. Rot in it for all I care." Hailey seethed, taking a strong stance as she stood up. "We're **done** here."

Jay stood up alongside her. "_You're_ done, Booth. It's over. You don't get to hurt us anymore."

"And by the way, you _jackass_?" Hailey said, "You were right about one thing. You sure as hell didn't let me go; but instead - I freed myself. Just like I'm doing now."

It was her turn to smirk victoriously as she turned on her heels, walking with Jay's arm hooked into hers, never looking back. She didn't even bother to hear his rants as he was forced back into solitary. Jay was just as unfazed as she was, because the only thing he could think about? He'd never been prouder of the woman next to him than he was today.

* * *

"Did I mention I'm so proud of you?" Jay asked Hailey as he brought her a sparkling cranberry seltzer. He decided to try one too, just so she wouldn't feel left out at Molly's. He gave her a side hug as he sat down, and saw her shrug.

"Thanks. You know, you were great in there too. Couldn't have made it through without ya, partner." She replied, grinning at him. She hadn't felt like they were just normal partners in something in a while. It was always about them as a relationship; but today it felt good to look down the barrel and actually make it out alive.

"Cheers, to making it," he announced, clinking her glass with his.

Hailey kissed his cheek. "You're cute." She was a little bit giddy, honestly. It was like a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders, and now she could finally revel in it for a little bit. Hell, they both deserved to have some fun after dealing with all that. Her giggle was halted by a stonier look in Jay's eyes.

"What is it?" She asked, concerned.

"No, it's nothing like that," he answered, though his eyes were still searching hers like he was trying to remember her or something. "I just – I'm still in awe of how you were able to just let it all go...I mean, I know I backed you up, but I'd be lying if I said a part of me didn't wish I could've killed him. Scary thing is, part of me still wants to, for what he did to you."

Hailey took his hand, covering it with hers. He did the same, and their hands were safely stacked within each other's. "And I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to throttle him myself. When we first arrived, I could envision it…me jumping right through that glass and just ending it, ending him, I mean. Not only what he did to me, but to you too." She said, a little sadness taking over her voice.

"So then, how'd you get past it?" Jay asked.

"Well, 1) I have you. But 2) Remember what I said to you last year..."

Jay's mind floated away briefly, remembering their conversation in the bar:

"_So, what we're just supposed to let things go? What's the point of the job?" _

_ "The point of the job is to do the best that you can; pretend like the bad stuff never happened." _

_ "Is that what you do?" He arched his brow at her, feeling like he already knew her answer. _

_ "No." She smiled at him before taking another sip of her beer. _

_ "Yeah, I didn't think so." He retorted, grinning back at her before finishing his own drink._

"Yeah," Jay said, a little zoned out still.

"Well, I stand corrected. I can't pretend like the bad stuff didn't happen. Not with Booth, or with De'Von, any of it. But I can still try to do right by me, by you, and now, for our baby. And that's doing the best I can."

Jay nodded, soaking in her words. She was right, as usual. "Easier said than done," he reminded her.

Hailey shoved his shoulder, slightly exasperated. "Psh, okay, whatever mister. You asked for my advice!" She chuckled at him, and he couldn't help but laugh right along with her. He did say earlier that all he cared about was that she was safe. Well, here she was, sitting next to him as radiant as ever. And he'd always be happy if _she_ was happy. That was the thought that kept him hopeful for the rest of their night.

* * *

"So tell me again – _why_ can't I come out to the kitchen?" Hailey hollered from the bedroom.

"Because," Jay shouted. "It's a **surprise**, you impatient person…" he said jokingly as he heard her scoff.

"Fine, but I'm _starving_, so if it's _not_ food you're making out there, I will be _more_ than impatient…" she warned him lightly.

She was of course, surprised by him bringing her breakfast in bed: chocolate chip pancakes with whipped cream, and an assortment of all her favorite fruits.

"Well aren't you the sweetest?" She said, a huge smile on her lips before she hungrily dug into the plate of food.

Jay laughed at her, causing Hailey to look up at him. "What?"

That only spurred him on. "N—n-nothing" he said between wheezes.

"Jay Halstead, if you don't tell me what is so funny, I'm not sharing my last pancake with you!" She chided.

"While I admire the fact that you can still eat like a champ; you are also still one of the messiest eaters I know," he said, shaking his head before he got the whipped cream off her nose and cheek with a napkin.

Hailey pouted. And now it was Jay's turn to ask, "What?"

She bit her lip, chuckling now too. "Wouldn't you like to know…" she teased.

"Hailey Upton, if you don't tell me what's so funny…" he mocked, laughing as she hit him with her throw pillow.

She arched her brow at him. "And for being in the _Intelligence_ unit, you're a little slow on the uptake there, babe," she said as she picked up a little bit more whipped cream, acting like she was going to get back at him. But instead, she placed it right back on her cheek, near her lips. "Why don't you come over here and I'll _show_ you instead…"

She laughed at loud as he never jumped so fast over to her in his life.

"I gotta do this more often…" he rasped.

She looked at him, stopping her lips along his jaw. "What's that? _This_, you mean?"

Jay looked at her like she was nuts. "No, cook. What'd you think?" He tried to keep from laughing, but he couldn't bite back his grin fast enough.

Hailey smacked his arm. "Oh, okay, so now you think you're funny…" she rolled her eyes, but couldn't help but laugh as he successfully convinced her otherwise. _Yeah, he was right. Maybe he _should_ cook more often. Because if this was what she could wake up to, she'd become a morning person easy. _


	12. Glimmer of Us

**Quick A/N: the songs mentioned in this chapter are: "Glimmer" - Mariana's Trench; "Why We Try" - Matthew Mayfield; "You & Me" - Lifehouse (the car flashback); "Crazy for this Girl" - Evan & Jaron (Jay's song for Hailey); and "Start of Something Good" - Daughtry (Hailey's song for Jay). Also, yes this is another long chapter, so buckle up, because it might be a little cheesy (I've never written wedding details before, okay?) - but hopefully Adam being the comic relief will mix things up a little bit. Hope ya'll like it. Thanks for all the great feedback so far!**

**ps: apparently I had amnesia while writing this chapter; but it should now reflect the fact that Adam was helping out Will by helping out Jay. **

* * *

_Saw you in black and white, bathed in the city light  
Got lost in the glare, I couldn't see you there, I couldn't see you there and I  
__Got a torch I've been carrying, hangs heavy on a thin,  
__a thin line that we made of something we're afraid of,  
__something we're afraid to try…  
__Can we forgive and forget? _

Hailey held her hand up, prompting Kim to stop her ancient boombox that held the CD of songs.

"What? No good?" The brunette asked.

"I mean, it's a cute song, we should definitely have it on our list to play, but not for _our_ song, you know what I mean?" Hailey answered, chewing on her lip as she placed a check mark next to the Mariana's Trench track.

Kim nodded in agreement. "Next one then?"

"Sure."

_So won't you, don't you know I'll always try to__  
__Can't you see it in my eyes? All the reasons you're mine. __  
__Maybe that's why we try, maybe that's why we give it all, to keep this love alive.  
Maybe that's why we try…_

"Aw, that one's a good one! I love it, I love it, I love it!" Hailey gleamed, excitedly shaking her hands.

"For the dance song, or for the processional? Recessional?" Kim asked, pen ready to write whatever Hailey wanted.

"Well, I feel like we'll do the traditional wedding march music for the processional and recessional. Maybe we can have this playing on our _slideshow_!" Hailey suggested.

Kim's eyes widened. "Hey, wait a minute! How'd you know we were doing a slideshow for you and Jay?!"

She laughed, looking at her. "Kim, you know I love you, but your boyfriend is the _worst_ at keeping secrets! You should've told Kevin instead!"

Kim slapped her hand over her face, shaking her head at Adam's ridiculousness. "Wow, y'know I ask him to do _one_ _thing_….ugh. How'd you figure it out?"

That question only made Hailey crack up even more. "Well, it's kinda hard _not_ to when I caught him rifling through mine and Jay's lockers for our engagement photos we hung up!"

Kim rolled her eyes, but joined in on the laughter. "Oh gosh, sorry Hailey. He's quite the handful sometimes….can't always keep an eye on his shenanigans."

Hailey smiled at her. "Don't even worry about it. But, I really do think this song would be good for it. So make sure you have it down!" She said, tapping her pen against Kim's paper for emphasis.

"Of course!"

"Alright, let's hear the next one…" Hailey said, running her hand through her hair. Her phone buzzed, and she saw a text from Jay:

SOS – Adam's brought out the country music.

Hailey laughed out loud, showing Kim. Kim laughed as well, telling Hailey another sorry for Adam's antics. They both couldn't help but wonder how the boys' time was going though.

* * *

"Ruz, you know I love you, but your music is driving me nuts man!"

Adam sighed, throwing his hands up. "Fine, fine. No more country; I just wanted to make sure I had a variety of options! We've already gone through the alternative options, the classics…what's left?"

Jay shrugged. "I don't know, just gimme a minute to think." He knew what kind of music he liked, and had a fair idea of what Hailey was going to choose. But he wanted something that really captured how he felt about her, that wasn't too over the top or cheesy. He racked his brain for all those times they took long drives to the lake or to a new golf course he wanted to try. Hailey insisted that if she was driving, they had a mix of music to listen to so they wouldn't get bored.

"_I can't believe I didn't know you liked Lifehouse too! Where the heck have I been?" She laughed to him from the driver's seat. _

_ Jay looked at her from the passenger side. "To be fair, I haven't listened to any of their new stuff, I'm strictly an old school Lifehouse listener." _

_ Hailey scrunched her nose. "Fine, but still. I should've known this sooner. We've been dating for what? 5 months now?" _

_ Jay smiled at her. "Oh, what, and I'm supposed to know you like Daughtry? I only found that out when you were dancing to it while making dinner that one night in the kitchen!" _

_ Hailey shoved his shoulder playfully. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. Ooo, wait, now this is my favorite by them!" She took her hand from his arm to the volume button, turning the track up and singing along, much to Jay's surprise. _

_ Course when he looked over at her, bobbing her head and rocking out like she didn't have a care in the world, he found himself singing along too._

"Hello? Hey, Jay!" Adam waved a hand in front of his face. "You still with me, buddy?"

"Hm? Yeah, sorry man." Jay said, still trying to remember a couple of those song titles. "Got it!"

"What's that?" Adam asked him, readying his iPod.

"A couple more song ideas…do this one first." Jay said, pulling up the song title for Adam.

_There's something about you now, I can't quite figure out  
__Everything she does is beautiful, everything she does is right…_

Little did he know that Hailey would come across that same song, but for different lyrics:

_And it's you and me, and all of the people, and I don't know why I can't keep my eyes off of you…._

"Kim," she had said. "I think we've got it."

Kim had clapped her hands together giddily. "Oh thank god!... _I mean_, I'm so happy!" She said, backtracking slightly, which made Hailey laugh.

"Oh, okay, hey, what about this one then too?" Jay said, scrolling through and seeing another song he used to listen to way back when. Adam glanced at him, nodding in agreement.

"Now that's one we can agree on my friend." He said, bookmarking Evan and Jaron's 'Crazy for this Girl.' "What do ya think the girls have chosen?" He asked Jay, eyebrows wagging, which only made Jay roll his eyes.

"No idea. But knowing Hailey, I'm sure I'll love it as soon as I hear it."

"Fair enough, fair enough." Adam said, chuckling as he scribbled down another note.

* * *

It had been a week since all the smaller details had been arranged, but Hailey still wanted to find a song that kind of represented how she felt about Jay. She was so surprised by how much she immediately liked him…like they had been connected all this time, and she never really realized it. It took some time for them to get to where they were now, but she wouldn't change it for anything.

"Oh my God, I'm a moron!" She said aloud, forgetting Kim was sitting next to her on the sofa.

"Hailey, hey, whatever it is, I'm sure we can fix it…" she said, immediately going into friend-co-worker-wedding-planner-helper mode.

Hailey chuckled, shaking her head. "No, no, it's nothing like that, I promise. I just can't believe it took me this long to remember the perfect song for my point of view on mine and Jay's relationship. It's by one of my favorite bands, for crying out loud…. Must be pregnancy brain or something," she joked, writing down Daughtry's "Start of Something Good" and handing it off to Kim.

"Aw, I remember you showed me this song after you and Jay first got together! Yes, Hailey that is too perfect!" Kim said excitedly. "But you have no idea what he chose?"

Hailey shook her head again. "Nope, not a clue. But knowing him, I'm sure I'll love it, whatever it is. Especially since we both landed on the same option for our first dance song!" She smiled, remembering how shocked they both were at the matching song choice.

"Okay," Kim said, interrupting Hailey's thoughts. "So now that crisis is solved…can we _please_ get to your appointment?!"

Hailey nodded, enjoying that Kim was even more excited than she was about dress shopping. Hailey wasn't the hugest fan of weddings, but everything changed when Jay came into the picture. She'd never been so excited to see things come together before like she was when her ideas became realities right in front of her face. She had chosen to do classic white for the majority of things, but also work in a few significant colors, like dark forest green and midnight blue. Kim helped her anchor it with a dusty mauve and a light beige, and even though on paper it looked a little unique, when she saw the epic fabrics that decked out the Chicago Convention Center, she knew she was making the right choice. Lighter pink roses were the centerpieces, whereas her bridal party was going to be decked out in the navy blue. And because she knew her fiancé, she knew he'd somehow find a way to wear that green tie of his. Not that she minded one bit. The beige came into play with the chairs and tables, which were a light wicker, playing off their more simplistic setup since the color scheme was a little bit moodier. That was surprisingly Adam's smart idea, the chairs and tables. _He knew a guy_, he had said, making Kim, Hailey, and yes, Jay raise their brows.

But now that things were set up (invitations had been sent out months ago, before the whole Booth incident occurred), all that was left to do was find Hailey's perfect dress. _Like I should've done weeks ago_, she remembered. _Damn him for taking that from me_. She shuddered, not wanting him to take this moment away from her too. He was gone from their lives, and she was so glad for that. _Now this time can be all about me and Jay. We deserve it_.

"Yeah, we sure can." She told Burgess, who practically dragged her out to her car, speeding the whole way to the Bucktown bridal shop.

"Woah, Kim, slow your roll, we'll make it just fine!" Hailey said, laughing at her eagerness.

"Hey, I've been waiting for this for 3 months now!" She chided, looking at Hailey from the driver's seat. She pulled into the tiny parking lot, running around and pulling Hailey into the shop within seconds.

"And we're here!" She announced, as their seamstress came over to greet them.

"Why hello ladies. You must be Hailey, right?" The older woman nodded at the blonde.

"Yes," Hailey answered, before Kim butted in with, "And I'm Kim. And we're in need of a perfectly dazzling dress!"

Both the seamstress and Hailey smiled. The seamstress had them follow her, where she had some options set aside. "Right this way. I bet we'll find what you're looking for."

Meanwhile, across town, Jay and Adam were debating over two almost-exact shades of midnight blue. "This one," Adam had said, while Jay shook his head.

"No, _this_ is the one we should go with," he said.

"Gentlemen," their host tried; but the boys kept at it.

"Wait a minute, I thought you said you were good with this one," Adam said, tossing the sample back at Jay.

"Yeah, just like _you_ said this one was the best choice!" Jay argued, tossing the one he had back.

"**GUYS**!" Their host, a short little man, startled them with such a big voice. "IT'S THE **SAME** COLOR."

Adam and Jay looked from each other, back to the man. "_What_?"

"Look," the man said, showing them that the serial numbers were in fact the same.

Jay and Adam laughed for a solid 5 minutes at their stupidity. "Well, then I guess we're done here." Adam and Jay grabbed their suit measurements, handing them off, and were soon on their way to double check the venue. Jay wondered how Hailey was doing, wishing he could've seen at least _one_ dress option. "Hahahaha, yeah right." She chastised him earlier before leaving with Kim. "Not a chance."

* * *

The lady showed Hailey and Kim a select few samples, ranging from classic lines to delicate and lacy. Hailey didn't want something too flashy, but also not super stuffy either. Something that was elegant, and timeless, so that when she looked back at photos she wouldn't cringe and be like '_what was I thinking?_'

She stared at the 4 picks. She had seen something shimmery as she came to the back room, and she was still curious about it. "What was that white sparkly item towards the front there?"

The lady looked up from the hangers. "Oh, you mean the iridescence? That's for add-ons. Like for a veil or to add to a part of a dress. You could even weave it into a hair piece of you wanted. Would you like to see the sample up close?"

"If you wouldn't mind, can I?" Hailey asked, a little shy.

"Of course dear. I'll be right back with that. You sit tight, or you can decide which sample dress you'd like to try on first."

Hailey turned to Kim, who shrugged. "Sure, okay."

When the lady walked off, Kim turned to Hailey. "Okay, so what're you thinking?"

"Well, while I admire the bold choice of this sheer one; I don't think my family's gonna wanna see their daughter or sister walk down the aisle in it. So that one's a hard pass," Hailey said, pushing it down to the end of the rack.

"This one's pretty. A little plain, but I want to see where it hits on me. Since I'm shorter, I don't know if it'll be a full length or, like too long, y'know?"

"Well try it on and let's see!" Kim said, rushing Hailey into the dressing room. Hailey slipped out of her clothes and into the dress, looking in the mirror first before she walked out.

"Yeah okay..." she came out looking a little defeated. When Kim noticed why, she smiled at her friend.

"Aw, Hailey!" She felt bad for her, as the dress was form fitting everywhere, but then pooled at her feet like a wave. "You can hem it?" She offered, wanting to make it easy in case Hailey did in fact, want that dress.

"Yeah, but I don't think I'll have enough time...I mean, I like the fit but I'm not like, in love with it."

"Fair enough," Kim said. "Try this other one," she said, handing Hailey a shorter one with longer sleeves, that had sheer lace panels through the bodice.

"Okay, I'll try it." Hailey wiggled her way into the other one, duped by the fact that the sleeves were long but the dress length itself only came to her knees. She pursed her lips, doing a quick turn in the mirror.

"It's not terrible, but I don't know if it screams, "wedding." I don't know, what do you think?" She called to Kim, pushing open the curtain.

"Wow, I mean that's a great dress yes; I mean I like it on you. But if you're not 100% sold then don't go with it. I'm sure there's something else here we haven't found yet."

Hailey ran her hands over the dress, as if she was smoothing it out, even though it was practically skin tight. "Eh, yeah. You're right." She shrugged, going back to change into her regular clothes when the lady came back with the sparkly sample, and the 3 options of how Hailey could use it.

"Here's that sample you wanted, Miss Upton." The lady sat it down for her on the small table outside the dressing room. Kim and Hailey both looked at it, then back at each other. Yep that's exactly what Hailey wanted. Now to just find the dress that could work with it.

"I love it; but I'm still not 100% sure on a dress yet. Do you have something that has this kind of line," she asked, pointing to the A-line on the first dress she tried. "But obviously with a shorter hemline? Maybe with like a different sleeve? Or even like a bit off the shoulder? Or is that too specific?" Hailey grimaced, not wanting to sound like Bridezilla.

Kim gave her a thumbs up, which made her relax a little. The woman thought for a minute. "You know, I think I have a couple options. Come with me and I'll show you."

Hailey got up and followed the woman back down to the main floor where most of the dresses were. A small section called elegant glamour sat in front of them, and Hailey had never seen so many stunning dresses in her life.

"_Wow_," she breathed, running her hand over some of them. "These are beautiful."

When she turned around, the seamstress held up a couple options. One was a midi dress that had a halter style neckline; the other was an A-line floor length dress with a slight off the shoulder sleeve - apparently it was kind of like a cap sleeve, the lady explained.

"Can I try the second one?" Hailey asked, pointing to the thick off the shoulder strapped one.

"Sure," the woman walked it back to her dressing room, and Hailey tried it on.

"Oh my gosh," she whispered as she looked at herself in the mirror. The dress hit below her ankles, and since she wasn't planning on wearing super high heels, it would sit perfectly on top of her feet if she wore a flatter shoe. The fit was almost perfect, just need to be taken in the tiniest bit at her waist, but the off the shoulder worked just how she pictured.

The color was an off white, but it was satin, so it shined in the light a little. It was a simple A-line cut, just like she wanted. She felt like it was missing one thing. "Can I see that iridescent sample please?" She poked her hand out of the room, and Kim handed it to her.

Hailey held it over bodice, and she felt her eyes get teary. Oh gosh, yep. That was it. Laying the shimmery fabric overtop the bodice, would make the perfect little unique touch for her dress.

"Guys, I think I've found it." She slowly opened the curtain, and she'd never seen Kim speechless in her life.

"Yeah?" She asked, eyes still a little misty.

Kim still held her hands over her mouth, but furiously shook her head 'yes.'

"That's a wonderful choice, Hailey." The older woman commented. "Any alterations needed?"

Hailey was pulled back from her fantasy to the nitty gritty. Ugh, details. "Yes, I just need it taken in a tiny bit at the waist." She pulled on it, showing the inch and a half gap.

"Ah, yes, we can take care of that right quick," the woman said, pulling out a measuring tape, wrapping it around Hailey's natural waist and compared it to the fabric length. "Yes, an inch and a half exactly. I can get that done, no problem. I'll have it for you by Friday. Is that good?"

Hailey nodded. "That works. And you guys can do the iridescent fabric on the top part too?"

"Of course Hailey."

"Perfect." And she'd never been surer of that word in her life.

* * *

"Will you _please_, just tell me why in the world I would wear a navy tux to my wedding?" Jay asked Adam, looking at him like he was crazy.

"No no no, you knucklehead. I meant the groomsmen will wear that! Kim just texted me that the bridal party's wearing navy maxi dresses, whatever the hell that means. So your guy's have to be in navy too!"

"Adam, _you're_ one of said guys!" Jay said, clasping his hand over his face.

"Right," Adam noted. "Well, I'll just go get fitted then. And I'll call Kev and Will and have them meet us down here."

"Awesome, thank you, I really appreciate it, especially since Will got called for a double after being on call." Jay said, genuinely feeling relief. "I'm gonna call Hailey and see how things are going."

"Sounds good man."

Jay stepped away from the desk, as did Adam, both making their respective phone calls.

"Hey Kevin, it's me. Can you grab Will from Med and meet us at the Terrytown Tux Shop on 5th and Weston?"

"Gotcha, okay man, will do!" Adam hung up quickly, giving Jay a thumbs up. He noticed just as Hailey picked up his call.

"Hey Hails, it's me. Just checking in. How're things going for you two?"

"Things are going great Jay! How about you guys?"

"Good, good. Have a couple more people to get fitted, but then I think we're done."

"Wow. You got yours done already?"

"Yeah, had mine done yesterday."

"Psh, wait a second. You liar! You told me you had to go meet with a CI yesterday!"

"Yeah, well..." Jay trailed off, smiling at the thought of Hailey trying to be mad at him. He knew she wouldn't really be though.

"Oh, you're _so_ lucky you're cute!" She warned, and Jay could hear the laugh come through her voice.

"Hey, no arguments there!" He joked.

"Okay, well I'm glad you guys are doing good. Kim just relayed to me that she's the only one that still needs to be fitted. My cousin Sarah and my sister in law Diana have already been done. Oh, and my niece Amelia! Tom sent me a photo of her in her little flower girl dress, it's the cutest thing you've ever seen!"

"That's awesome babe. You'll have to show me the photo when I get back! I'll talk to you a little later, ok?"

"Okay, sounds good. Love you!"

Jay loved hearing those words. "Love you too."

He hung up and gave Adam a 'perfect' sign with his hand as he saw Kevin and Will pull up to the shop.

"Alright, alright, now it's a party!" Adam said as the guys strolled in. He gave them both the classic clapped handshake, and Jay thanked them both for rushing over here.

"Of course, you know we're down," Kevin said. Will nodded, echoing his statement.

"Alright boys, let's get this shit done!" Adam shouted, fist pumping as he strolled back with 3 suits in his hands.

Jay dropped his head, laughing at how ridiculously awesome his friends and family were. Yeah, this would be a fun time for sure.

* * *

"Alright, so you'll notify me when it's ready?" Hailey asked.

"Yep, sure will. We got your order, one white iced chocolate cake, and one white cake with vanilla cream icing."

"Yep, but like tiered, you know?" Hailey added.

"Ah, yes, I understand." The baker reassured her.

"Thank you so much!" Hailey said, walking out the door with Kim following her lead.

"Well, that was easy," she noticed, checking her last thing off the to-do list. "How do you think the boys are coming along?"

Kim cracked a smile. "Knowing Adam, he's probably got them all wound up like nutcases; but hey, I'm sure they're good. Look, he just sent me this," She leaned over to show Hailey the photo. It was of Will, Kevin, and Adam in their navy blue, almost black looking suits, making the goofiest faces.

"Ha, that's priceless!" Hailey laughed. "I'm glad we're both technically done with our stuff then right? Well, you said you're doing your fitting tomorrow after shift, right?" She asked, looking at Kim.

"Yep, don't worry about it. The dress is all good on me. They just wanna double check."

Hailey let out a breath she wasn't aware she was holding. "Good, that's really good. Thanks for helping me with all this Kim. My brothers and weddings don't exactly go together well. I mean, don't get me wrong: they're super excited for mine; but they aren't personally invested in all the hoopla. I mean Tommy shotgunned his in Vegas," she reminisced. "And Bobby's not found the one worth settling down for yet."

"Gotcha. And you're welcome Hailey. I'm happy to do it." Kim replied, wrapping her arm around Hailey's shoulders.

"Now can we _please_ go meet up with the guys for drinks? Well, okay, _I_ need a drink. You- _you_ can just enjoy eating for 2!" She joked to Hailey, who laughed hysterically all the way to the car.

"Sure thing," she said, texting Jay to meet up with them at Molly's.

They arrived after the boys did, Adam already ordered a whole round for the table. Hailey and Kim rolled their eyes, but chuckled.

"Hey boys," Kim said, kissing Adam on the cheek. "How goes it?"

"Good," Kevin and Will said.

"Better now," Adam added, kissing Kim back.

Hailey gave Jay a quick kiss before ordering a seltzer with lime and sugar. When Jay gave her a look, she whispered, "Hey, closest thing I'll get to tequila nowadays." She shrugged nonchalantly, and Jay grinned at her.

"So, you excited for the rehearsal dinner on Friday?" He asked.

"Yeah, now that everything's finally coming together I am. I was real nervous last week, but I mean, it's only Tuesday and we're almost done with everything. That's pretty freaking amazing," she said grinning at him.

"True, very true," he agreed, kissing her cheek.

"So, a toast," Adam announced. "To Jay and to Hailey. We cannot wait to celebrate with you guys on Saturday! So, cheers guys, we love you!" He raised his glass, prompting everyone else to do the same. Hailey and Jay even clinked theirs together for good luck. Not that they needed it. Things were finally looking up. Hailey just wanted to bottle up that feeling so she could have it forever. _Was it Saturday yet?_

* * *

"Oh gosh, wait, Adam! You buffoon!" Kim scolded her boyfriend. "No, no, no! Gimme that!" She snatched the remote control for the projector away from him. "Here," she said, pressing the correct button to get the slideshow ready to play.

"Sorry darlin'" Adam said sheepishly.

Kim sighed, kissing his cheek. "Sorry baby, I just want this to be perfect. I mean, they deserve it, you know?"

Adam hugged her tightly. "Yeah, I know. But hey, look at this place," he gestured to the west end of the convention center. It was beautifully decorated with fun lights and bright colors; plus of course the cute little video scrapbook Kim and Adam had put together. "We did a pretty damn good job," he teased, earning a smack in the side from Kim, who as they both knew, did 90% of the work.

"Yeah yeah, okay. Just go keep watch and tell me when they're here, okay? I'll go rally up the guests in the lobby."

Adam nodded. "Copy that."

As the guests filed in to their appropriate seats, Kim double checked the slideshow, while Adam watched the window like a hawk.

"Hey, hey! They're here!" He whisper yelled to Kim.

"Okay, perfect," she said back.

Hailey and Jay obviously knew about the rehearsal, but Kim didn't tell them anything about what it would be like. They knew they'd go over the logistics and everything, but knowing Kim and Adam, of course some fun was involved.

"And let's hear it for the happy couple!" Kim announced as Jay and Hailey made their way in. Everyone clapped and cheered, while the couple was in awe of how great the space looked. Half the room was set up exactly like the east wing of the convention center was (where the actual wedding was going to be); while the other half was decorated in vibrant colors, plus guests could have little finger foods as they waited.

"Oh my gosh, Kim! This is amazing!" Hailey exclaimed, rushing over to hug her friend.

Jay gave Adam a hug too. "Man, this is awesome. Thanks buddy."

The duo took their seats, front and center of the room, while Kim announced the plan of events. They'd get the run through done first, then the real fun could start. Everyone laughed at that.

"Okay, and so Hailey, you'll walk down, then Jay, you'll be here," Kim said.

"And I'll be here with the rings," Will chimed from behind him.

"And Hailey, Amelia's still doing the flowers, right?" Kim asked.

"Yep, she sure is!" Hailey said.

"So we got Will, Adam, and Kevin..." Kim started, before turning her body to Hailey's side. "Then me, Sarah, and Diana."

"Music's cued up?" She asked Adam. He nodded.

"I talked to the sound guy earlier. We're all good."

Kim was about to ask him something else, but he beat her to the punch.

"_And_ I talked to catering. They are all set too. Hailey talked to the cake baker last night. They're bringing it in first thing tomorrow morning."

"I can vouch for that," Will added. "Adam's really saved my ass today since I worked a double."

Kim let out a sigh of relief. "Wonderful." She turned to the happy couple. "And I'm assuming you two have your vows all written out?"

Jay and Hailey shared one of their notorious looks. "Yep," they answered simultaneously.

"Alrighty, well then let's run through it once, sans vows obviously; then we can get into the fun slideshow!" She clapped her hands and everyone went to their places.

The run through went through without a hitch, to which Jay and Hailey both breathed sighs of relief at. _Phew, thank goodness._

"And now, the moment you've all been waiting for," Kim announced as everyone was filing back into their seats. "A tribute, to Jay and Hailey."

The soft melodies filled the room as a collage of images came into view, beginning the slideshow. Some were photos that Adam and Kim had snagged, a few that either Jay's brother Will, or Hailey's brothers Bobby and Tom had; but others were ones that Jay and Hailey didn't even realize were being taken of them. There was their engagement photo, the one of the two of them huddled up by the fireplace, and then a few others where they were at work, either in sync in their movements, stances, or facial expressions.

_I just want you here with me, silence and kisses sweet  
__Say I'm the only one, there's nothing we're running from  
__No I won't let you go…_

Then their CPD badge photos were put up side by side, to show how they'd both grown over the few years being partnered together. Hailey tapped Jay's shoulder, wondering about his beard choice a couple years back; while he forgot her hair was that dark when she first started at Intelligence. One thing that remained the same? Their expressions, which somehow managed to show both a strength and softness – much like they did in real life.

_I see a glimmer, a glimmer of, a glimmer of us  
__Oh, I see a glimmer, glimmer, I can see a glimmer, I can see a glimmer of us…_

Hailey smiled at hearing that first song she checked off her list earlier. _Aw, cute! _That little bit was montaged along with some photos of the two of them smiling, or ones that they had taken of each other, being goofballs or their genuine selves. Like Hailey's photo of Jay at the golf course, or his photo of her being so excited about the snow in Chicago.

The slideshow came to an end, and as everyone clapped, Hailey and Jay were silent for a moment, before looking at each other, trying to communicate every little emotion into one glance. Jay reached for Hailey's hand, intertwining her fingers with his before tugging it over his heart, nodding at her. That was all the confirmation she needed. Out of the darkness had come this amazing little love story of theirs, and even though it was rocky at times, they wouldn't change it for the world. This love was theirs, and that's all that mattered.


	13. I Do

**A/N: And here it is, the moment you've all been waiting for...may I present to you – an Upstead wedding!**

* * *

Hailey looked in the mirror one last time, blinking periodically to one, clear the incoming tears, but two, to really make herself believe this was happening. She was going to get married today. And she couldn't be happier, well, at least not until she saw Jay at the end of the aisle. That, she couldn't wait for. The sheer thought of that made her heart soar. And then she'd get to call that man her husband? Talk about the perfect reality!

"Hey Hailey, you ready?" Kim knocked on the door, poking her head in, followed closely by Diana and Sarah.

Hailey whirled around to face the 3 women. "Yes, I am so ready..let's do this!" She cheered, which made Kim, Diana, and Sarah chuckle at her enthusiasm.

As she made her way down the hallway and into the awaiting corridor to make her grand entrance, her mind reflected over her and Jay's last moments as simply fiancés; boyfriend and girlfriend; in a relationship; however you put it – last night signified the end of those labels and the beginning of something new and beautiful.

"_I can't believe I get to marry you tomorrow" Jay said, his hand running down Hailey's arm as his was wrapped around her shoulders. _

"_I can't believe it either babe" Hailey replied, looking up at him. His eyes were doing that wonderfully magic search of her own; and for once, she knew there wasn't anything left for him to find. Because after tomorrow, they would be complete. Together forever, and they both knew how special that was. _

"_What're you thinking about?" She whispered, mirroring his eye movements. _

"_Just capturing this moment. I wanna remember it forever" he admitted, pulling her closer to him, wrapping her up in a hug. "I just can't believe it took me so long to have this with you…" he said, a slight sadness in his voice. _

_Hailey placed her hands on his chest, pushing up off him a little. "Jay, if anyone took a long time to realize things, it'd have to be me. Remember when I told you that I've trusted you from the day I met you?" _

_Jay's brows rose as he recalled it. "Yeah?" _

_Hailey sighed, "Well, I meant that, and still do; but what I really was trying to say was that I've liked you from the day I met you. Maybe not in a complete romantic way back when; but I genuinely cared for you. I wanted the best for you, no matter who it was back then. Sometimes I wonder what would've happened if I had gone after you that night at Molly's…" _

_Jay's expression blurred from curiosity into perplexity. "What do you mean?" _

"_I mean, even back then, when I was just starting at Intelligence, I desperately wanted your approval, to hear your opinions, to have your back. I wanted to make things okay for you. I knew there was so much going on in your life then, and I was scared to intrude on that. So I guess I'm kind of apologizing if I made things awkward back then; but I'm also telling you that I wish I would've done something about it sooner. I just wanted you to know that my trust and compassion for you started way before we were dating, or hell, even before we were partners." _

_Jay decided to sit up now and face Hailey. "Hailey, what brought this on? I mean, I'm glad you told me, but god you don't ever have to apologize for anything. Especially not for being there for me. You helped me through that rough transition, you know, when Erin left. I wouldn't have gotten through those 6 months without you. I know we had a rocky start, but that was just me not wanting to risk letting someone in again. But I've never been more sure of you and I…together in more than just work, I mean. This," he paused, kissing her softly. "Us – that's what I want. And hey, just so you know, there was never a time you weren't on my mind – even if it was out of sheer curiosity as to how you could be so witty and resilient. It was refreshing to have that sort of grounding, that stable, safer place to come back to. I always knew you had my back; I never questioned that, even if I didn't always make it seem that way. So, I guess what I'm trying to say is that compassion and trust was, and still is, mutual. Always. And tomorrow all our friends and family will know it too." He tilted his head down to hers, noticing that she was a little emotional. _

"_Jay…" she started. "I had no idea, I –wow. You're amazing, you know that?" _

_He smiled at her, and she grinned right back. "And what I know now, I would've been more than happy for you to have found me outside Molly's that night; but you know, in a way, I'm glad it worked out how it did. Because back then, as you know, I was kind of all over the place. But you – _you_ helped me get through that. And that's how I knew what I was feeling for you went beyond just friendship or even our partnership. Because we didn't rush into something – you were just genuinely that caring of a person. And I wouldn't change any part of our life together. So, I think it worked out the way it was supposed to." _

"_God, I love you." Hailey said breathlessly, leaning in to kiss him. "I'm so glad we found our way to each other like we did too. You're the best person I know; and tomorrow, I get to tell you that again – in much fancier, well rehearsed words, of course." She lightly laughed. _

"_You're the best thing that's ever happened to me, Hails. So I can't wait to tell _you_ that, in much fancier, well rehearsed words, of course," he said, jokingly mimicking her. She playfully punched his harm, knowing full well she'd never get sick of laughing and smiling with him. _

The wedding march jarred Hailey from the last 24 hours and into the next happiest hour of her life. She took a couple deep breaths before beginning her walk behind Diana, Sarah, and Kim. She peaked around the ladies to see her adorable niece Amelia doing a wonderful job with the flowers. She couldn't help but smile when she handed one off to Hank who, because he couldn't resist cute kids, took it with a rare grin, which made the little girl proud of her gesture.

She knew she was nearing the end of the aisle, and would soon be face to face with the man she loved most in this world: Jay. _Her_ Jay. God, she loved that. She'd never get tired of him being _hers_. And she knew she was _his_. That was one of the most meaningful things in the world.

Hailey watched her bridesmaids take their respective positions, and she finally came face to face with Jay. The look he gave her almost took her breath away. Course he himself was looking a little speechless, which only made her smile more. She too, felt like there weren't enough words in the world to describe the man she saw in front of her. He was truly the best thing she'd ever laid eyes on, and not just because he wore a tuxedo _exceptionally_ _well_. It was his aura, that glimmer of just Jay being, well, _Jay_. His green eyes were shining and his smile was gentle and she knew what that really meant. She'd know that look anywhere. It was _that_ look: the one she used to always memorize but never knew for sure if her interpretation of it was correct until she admitted her love for him in that life-altering confessional. She'd never been prouder of herself for knowing exactly what he was doing, and thinking, and _being_. He was sincere, amazing, and she couldn't imagine it any different.

* * *

When Jay saw Hailey come down the aisle, Adam had to smack his shoulder to keep his jaw from dropping to the floor. Jay smiled, but felt his eyes get teary when he realized that the finishing touch to her look today would be his mother's wedding ring. He'd never wanted to give it to anyone as much as her. There was no one else who deserved it but Hailey. _His_ Hailey. God, he loved that. He'd never tire of her being _his_. He knew he was _hers_ too, and he knew how special that was. He hoped his eyes conveyed all the emotion he was feeling, but he remembered one way he could be sure: so he tried to put on his best 'look', the one he only had for her, and to her. Intense, yet soft. Comforting, but also a little bit _more_ than that. Like they were sharing a secret only using their eyes. It finally hit him: in a way, his feelings for her _were_ the secret. The operative word being "were"; because he'd never been gladder to have revealed his secret than he was a little over a year ago. Because now here he was, standing in front of the most beautiful, intelligent, caring, badass woman he'd ever met. And he couldn't imagine it being any different.

So when they faced each other completely, ready to say their vows, he knew that he'd remember this moment forever.

The minister looked from the happy couple to the crowd of guests, before beginning the ceremony. "We are gathered here today, to join Jay Halstead and Hailey Upton together in wedded bliss. Jay, Hailey, your family and friends are all so happy for the both of you, but I'm sure nothing compares to the joy you two are feeling in this moment. To celebrate that, I'd like to invite you both to recite your vows to one another." The older man nodded at Jay first.

"Hailey, you and I have been connected since we first met. Even before we were partners and friends, I knew there was something special about you; and I was so intrigued by the sassy detective that had decided to join Intelligence. Even though I once said "the more I learn about you, the more I realize I have no idea who you really are", I've never been happier to be wrong. Because the truth is, the more I learned about you, the more my curiosity piqued. And from there our bond only grew stronger. You've been my safe place, my solid ground, my solace, my _home_. And I promise to try to be yours just as much. I promise to love you, but I also promise to never stop making you laugh and smile. Because those are the two most beautiful things about you. You've got such a caring heart, and you're seriously my best friend. I couldn't be more excited to get to call you not only my partner on the job, but in life too. Plus: Hailey Halstead has a nice ring to it."

"Jay, I've trusted you from the day I met you. And I've cared about you ever since then too. Whether it was as friends or as partners, I've always wanted to be there for you. I've never wanted anything more than for you to be happy; and now, I couldn't be more excited to be a part of that happiness in your life. Because _you're_ the happiness in mine. You're the one I can count on, no matter what. And I couldn't ask for a better friend, partner, boyfriend, fiancé, and now, husband. You're the strongest, smartest, bravest man I've ever met. And I will forever follow you blind; because at one point in time, I was blinded by my love for you. I promise to love you forever, and you know you have my heart. You've always had it, because you've always had my back. I promise to be that home for you, just like you've been to me. I can only hope I bring you half the comfort you've brought me over these last few years. I promise to spend the rest of our life together, forever by your side. I love you so much, even when you're the biggest dork on the planet. Those little things are the most wonderful things about you – oh who am I kidding? All of you is the best thing ever! And I'm so happy I get to call you mine."

While the duo faced each other, their visions of each other were slightly clouded by a few tears. Their smiles were thousand watt, brighter than the chandelier style lights in the convention center chapel. Will handed Jay and Hailey their respective rings, and the minister said that phrase they'd both been dying to hear for months:

"Jay, do you take Hailey to be your wife, in everything and with all you have?"

Jay caught a rogue tear that had made its way down Hailey's face with his thumb, and he softly smiled at her when she did the same.

"I do," he said, never breaking eye contact with Hailey. He took her hand and placed the ring on her finger.

"And Hailey, do you take Jay to be your husband, in everything and with all you have?"

"I do!" Hailey said, a little too loudly, only because she was so excited, which only made Jay fall in love with her all over again. She then slipped the wedding band onto his finger, calming down a tiny bit.

"By the power vested in me by the state of Illinois, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride!"

He didn't have to tell Jay twice, as he wrapped his arms around Hailey and pulled her close. She leaned in too, her hands finding his neck. Their lips met, much like they had many times before, but this one, this kiss was pure magic. Nothing too fast or too slow; nor too simple or too intense. It was unique, with just enough passion behind it to know it was theirs.

"I love you," she whispered in his ear as they got ready to turn for their recessional walk down.

"Love you too, Hailey _Halstead_," Jay said, a light giddiness in his voice, but he was the most serious he'd ever been about saying anything in his life. And Hailey knew that as soon as she caught his gaze.

Their moment was entertainingly interceded by Adam, who, despite Kim's best efforts to keep him not so loud, whooped and clapped like his team had won the Superbowl or something. Jay and Hailey turned, laughing at him before sharing their laugh with each other. Kim grabbed Adam's arm, hooking it in hers so they could begin the parade down (or, rather back up) the aisle. They were followed by Diana and Kevin, and then Will and Sarah. Jay and Hailey filed out last, and were met by rounds of applause and cheers from all their beloved family and friends.

They were Cloud 9, and when Will, Kevin, Kim, and Adam announced their arrival as "Mr. and Mrs. Halstead" – they truly felt like they were dreaming. But this was their new reality, and they couldn't wait to enjoy every second.


	14. The Honeymoon Phase

**A/N: Apparently you guys are really on the edge of your seats for an update (thanks so much, I seriously didn't know how this story was gonna go!) – so here it is: an Upstead "babymoon." If you don't know what that means (well, I don't think I wrote it how it's actually defined, but anyway) you'll see what I mean when you read it. PS: I updated it to reflect that Hailey doesn't partake in the alcohol (I know I gave her tonic water in another chapter...I was just not thinking while writing this one. Oops.) Anyway, hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Jay looked over at Hailey from his airplane seat. His _wife_ (he still couldn't believe it) had a whole bunch of energy, bouncing up and down in her seat as their plane began its descent. He smiled at her, and she must've sensed him staring at her, because her messy blonde waves whirled around, and she faced him. Her smile was bright as she excitedly told him that as soon as they got there they were going to sit back, relax, and enjoy the sun.

"You know it's nearing the evening, right?" Jay reminded her.

"Well then we can see the sunset!" Hailey quipped.

Jay shook his head, but couldn't help but smile, knowing he'd agree just to make her happy. Besides, he didn't think it could get any better than this: his gorgeous wife, Hailey, _plus_ a luxurious beachfront hotel suite? Yep, Bora Bora was going to treat them well, he was sure of it.

Their plane landed soon after, and Hailey and Jay hurriedly grabbed their bags. Hailey took Jay's hand, practically running to the shuttle that would drop them at their hotel. He loved that she was this excited about their honeymoon, because it made him that much more excited too. The shuttle ride was short, so they arrived at the Roca Resort in just 10 minutes.

"Oh my God, would you look at this place?! I didn't know you got a room right on the beach!" Hailey exclaimed, jumping up and down like a little kid. She kissed his cheek before running outside to check out the view. She'd never seen water so crystal clear in her life.

"This is beautiful," she said breathlessly.

"Yeah, sure is," Jay remarked, not only meaning their beachfront view.

Hailey caught him staring at her, and she blushed. "Oh stop," she said, grinning bashfully at him. Jay came around and wrapped his arms around her waist, fixing his head right on her shoulder. She sighed, leaning back to kiss him. "I love you," she whispered.

Jay reciprocated her kiss before replying, "I love you too."

They stayed like that for a while, just soaking everything in. They eventually sat on their little balcony and watched the sun set over the beach. The complimentary wine was opened, Jay having a glass, while Hailey got some sparkling apple juice from the fridge.

"For you," she said, handing him his wine glass. Jay started to take it from her, but as he did, Hailey surprised him by handing it to him only after she sat on his lap.

He arched her brow at her, to which she shrugged innocently. "What? Now I have the best seat in the house," she winked, taking another sip of her drink.

"Mhmm," Jay hummed, snaking his free hand around her waist. He decided to take advantage of the current situation, peppering kisses down Hailey's jaw and neck. She gasped, but twisted her face around to kiss him full on the lips.

"Hmm," Hailey hummed as she continued kissing him. She shifted over to grab their glasses, setting them down on the table.

She paused, trying to speak, but Jay kept at her, wrapping both his arms around her, pulling her body to his. "As much as I love this," she started before he kissed her again, "I have an even better idea," she said provocatively. She jumped up, pulling him up with her as the night fell around them.

"Where are we going?" Jay asked, his voice raspy with need.

"You'll see," Hailey said, her voice equally as desperate.

She led him down the stairs to the beach, where they could still hear the ocean waves crash against the shoreline. Hailey stopped for a second, looking around. _Good, no one's around_. She turned, smirking at Jay. "Wanna go for a swim?"

Jay squinted in a bit of confusion, but when he saw her start to discard her clothes, he realized what kind of swim she meant. He quickly shed his clothes too, and the two bounded into the sea, the water feeling as cold as the pale blue color it had.

"Oh my God," Jay huffed. "It's freezing!" He turned to find Hailey laughing, splashing around like she didn't have a care in the world, and soon enough he had forgotten about the cold. He decided to let go a little, splashing her back and joining in on the fun.

"Oh no, you're not getting away with it this time!" Hailey shouted, pushing big waves of water his direction. Jay laughed, trying to grab her as she successfully dodged his moves.

"Ha," he said victoriously as he felt the familiar curve of her waist on his hand. He turned her around, finding her lips just as easily.

Hailey kissed him back, her hands finding their usual place around his neck. She felt his hands slide themselves cheekily down her body.

"I got a pretty good prize," Jay mused, picking her up, continuing to kiss her as he carried her back out to the sand.

"Well, what're you waiting for?" Hailey challenged as she grabbed her shirt and shorts. Jay raised his brows as he grabbed his clothes, and raced her back up to their suite.

This time Hailey let him win, only so she could surprise him by clumsily piggybacking onto his back. Jay hoisted her up, going with her whimsical wish and carrying her back to their bedroom like that. Her laugh was still the sweetest sound he'd ever heard. He gently let her off his back, and she curled up on the edge of the bed, her eyes hungrily taking him in. He caught on, flexing some, which only made her giggle.

"C'mere," she said, getting up only to pull him back down to her. Her hands found their way into his hair, tugging him on top of her as her lips made their way down his neck.

"Hailey," he groaned, feeling the pressure rising a little.

"Hm?" Her voice vibrated against his skin, which only made him speed things up. He shed the rest of his clothes, plus helped Hailey get rid of hers.

"Someone's eager," she teased as he worked his way down her body.

"You're damn right," he taunted, getting more riled as her hands traced his skin.

They spent the rest of the night together, sans sleep of course. When they did finally run out of steam, the sun was just coming up, shining through their curtains.

"Well, that's one way to wake up," Hailey said wittily, rolling off Jay and onto her side of the bed.

"You're telling me," Jay smirked at her, pulling the covers over the both of them so they could actually settle into the sheets instead of just being between them all night.

"So, should we actually try to sleep now?" She whispered, her eyes still glossy with the remnants of desire.

Jay's hand found her cheek. "As much as I want to continue our fun, we probably should. Besides, I have a surprise for you later tonight, so it'll be good to be well rested."

Hailey smiled at him, stifling a yawn. "Fair enough."

Jay slung his arm around her side, pulling her close to him, as sleep enveloped both of them easily.

* * *

"Hails, you almost ready?" Jay asked, fixing his tie.

"Yeah!" She yelled back, coming out of the bathroom in an LBD and red heels.

She pursed her lips as she watched his reaction. She loved that he always looked at her like that. Like she was the best thing he'd ever laid eyes on. Course, when she took in his classic tuxedo, she had to disagree: _he_ was the best thing _she'd_ ever laid eyes on.

"Damn, who is that incredibly sexy man?" She rhetorically asked. "Can't be my husband, he's always in jeans and a tee shirt," she added jokingly.

Jay gave her a half smile, his eyes unashamedly raking over her body. "Yeah well, he cleaned up for his breathtaking wife," he replied, his arms linking themselves around her.

"Oh, so smooth," Hailey sassed, leaning in to kiss him.

"I try," he quipped, kissing her back.

"So, where are we going?" She asked him, taking his hand as they walked out of their hotel room.

Jay looked at her. "Just you wait."

Hailey playfully pushed against his shoulder. "Okay, fine. But only 'cause I trust you," she said, her eyes gleaming.

Jay looked back at her just as seriously. "Yeah. Same here. Always." He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, and she leaned into him.

They walked a little way down the hotel, before coming to a set of double doors. A couple staff members opened them, revealing a yacht which held a candlelit dinner for two.

"Shut up!" Hailey pushed her hand against his shoulder in shock. "You did not!" She whirled around to face him after taking in the amazing view in front of her.

"I did," he replied, holding his hands up in mock defense.

He led her out and helped her step onto the boat, and he followed suit. He pulled out her chair, and she grinned up at him when she saw his food/drink choice. "Pizza...and beer," she said, a lilt in her voice.

"Well," he said, sitting across from her. "I figured we'd do our thing as husband and wife now instead of just partners. Although, don't worry: yours is root beer." He held out his drink (so elegantly put in a wine glass) to clink with hers.

"That's sweet," she said. "Cheers."

They chatted, laughing and reminiscing while they gobbled up plenty of pizza and downed their drinks.

"I still can't believe our first dance went off without a hitch!" Hailey said, slightly exasperated as she laughed again.

"Hey, I told you I had two left feet!" Jay protested, pouring them some more to drink.

"True, but I didn't believe you until we rehearsed it," Hailey quipped. "Course, you made up for it when the time came," she said sweetly.

_Cause it's just you and me, and all of the people, with nothing to do, nothing to lose…  
__And it's you and me, and all of the people, and I don't know why, I can't keep my eyes off of you._

_Jay held Hailey close as Lifehouse's "You & Me" poured over the speakers. She intertwined her hands with his as they swayed together on the dance floor. _

_ "I love you," she whispered, laying her head on his shoulder. _

_ "Love you too, Hailey Halstead," Jay said, as he'd never tire of saying it. _

_ "It does sound pretty nice," she countered. "But you wanna know what sounds even nicer?" _

_ "What's that?" _

_ "Getting to call you my husband," she smiled at him. _

_ "Oh, so now who's the mushball?" Jay teased, making her grin at him. _

_ "Yeah, yeah." She sighed, standing up on her toes to kiss him. _

_ He kissed her back, wishing he had a photographic memory so he'd take this lovely moment as a snapshot. As if on cue, he saw a flash of a camera. _Oh right, the photographer. _He smiled, it genuinely taking up his whole face as he twirled Hailey around. He dipped her, and as she came back up she joked, "Thanks for not dropping me, you dork." He laughed, kissing her again as the song came to an end. _

_ "I could do this forever," Jay said, still holding her. _

_ "What? Dance?" She asked. _

_ "No, just make you smile." He said, echoing his earlier vow to her. _

_ "And I could spend forever listening to you be the most charming man in the world." _

_ "Well, what can I say? You make it easy, babe." He said, whispering sweet nothings in her ear as other couples joined them on the dance floor._

"You're right, it all worked out," Hailey said dreamily. She took his hand from across the table, deciding they should dance again.

"I promise I won't step on your feet," Jay said.

"I won't hold it against you even if you do," Hailey replied, getting him to spin her as they stepped out onto the deck.

Their dance was spotlighted by the moon, the stars acting like twinkly lights.

"I can't believe you did all this for me," Hailey said, looking at him with all the admiration in the world.

"I'm gonna spend the rest of my life doing things like this for you. You deserve all that and more." Jay said honestly, leaning his forehead against hers.

Hailey felt her eyes get misty, but she didn't cry. She was distracted by the baby kicking in her stomach. "Oh my gosh," she whispered, her eyes growing wide. "The baby just kicked!"

Jay's eyes went from hers to her stomach, gently placing his hand halfway overtop of hers, feeling the baby's _put put_ of feet against Hailey's abdomen. "Oh my God, that's…wow, that's amazing!'

It was his eyes that became misty now, but only with the pure joy that the moment had brought both him and Hailey. They were reminded that they were connected in more ways than one now: they have a baby to think about in this future they were building together. And they couldn't be more nervous and excited for what that possibility held.

* * *

"I still can't believe we haven't left our hotel since last night!" Hailey said, hitting Jay with a pillow.

Jay laughed, tossing it back her way. "Hey, not my fault you wore that unbelievable dress," He crawled back over to her, attaching his lips back to her neck.

Hailey let out a breath. "It _was_ your fault for getting it _off_ me, though!" She bit her lip as she felt his hands graze her body underneath the sheets.

"Oh gosh, Jay," she breathed. She stopped him short of her collarbones, and he sighed against her. She looked down to see him pouting a little bit, but she knew he was just goofing around.

"Oh please Halstead, you can wait a while between rounds," she quipped, getting up to grab a shower.

"I think you meant _marathons_, Hails," Jay joked back, which of course earned him another pillow thrown in his direction.

"You're the worst," she lamented, rolling her eyes, to which Jay responded by grabbing her waist, picking her up lightly and spinning her in a playful manner. She kissed him, and he kissed her back, before he let her go for real this time.

"Love you," she said, looking back at him before disappearing into the bathroom.

"Love you too, babe." He said, kissing her hand as she let go.

The two of them _finally_ left their hotel room, venturing out to the pool to dip their feet in and cool off, as the night air was insanely hot.

"Damn, my wife looks good in a bikini!" Jay said, eyeing Hailey as she came out from her dip in the water.

"My _husband_ doesn't look half bad either," she replied cheekily. She cuddled up next to him, which was a big mistake, as Jay took the opportunity to get a running leap – with her in his arms – into the pool, successfully soaking the both of them.

"I should've known!" Hailey said, rubbing the chlorine from her eyes. "You jerk," she said, only pretending to be mad at him.

Jay was grinning like an idiot, obviously happy that his adorably juvenile plan worked. "Yeah, ya should've."

Hailey shook her head, giving him one last statement: "Jay Halstead, what am I gonna do with you?" – before diving down into the water, making sure to splash him a few extra times for payback.

After they'd exhausted their playful sides for the night, they settled along the water's edge, looking up at the stars.

"You ever make a wish on one?" Hailey asked, looking at him.

Jay looked at her quizzically. He wasn't expecting that question. _Interesting_. "No, I haven't. Why?"

"I used to when I was little. I'd wish for a good job, or a lot of good grades in school, that my friends were happy, things like that. Well, if you could wish for something now, what would you wish for?"

He pushed a strand of wet hair out of her face, loving how beautiful she looked illuminated in the night sky. "I got my wish, and I'm not letting her go for a second." He wrapped his arm around her, feeling glad he could keep his promise to her. That smile was just as bright as the stars above them, but he knew which one he'd look at forever.

* * *

"And there they are: the unbelievably tan – and happy couple!" Adam announced as Jay and Hailey walked up to the bullpen.

"Hey guys," Kim said, going in to hug the both of them. "Ignore him," she mouthed, referring to her goofball of a boyfriend. Jay and Hailey snickered at that, and when Ruzek's face held a confused expression, that only made them laugh harder.

"So, how was Bora Bora?" Kevin asked.

"It was ah-mazing" Hailey said, enunciating the word.

"Yeah, we had a wonderful time," Jay agreed as he settled into his desk.

Hailey followed suit, not missing the grin that Jay gave her to still have her be his partner. Sitting across from each other again felt normal, but at the same time a little different, just because they knew how much had changed for them over the last year. But they were successfully navigating everything so far, which gave them both a bit of faith to fall back on, that yes: they could do this. Hell, they _were_ doing this.

Their work day was just like any other, and they added the fact that them being married didn't affect their work life into "evidence they were succeeding at this whole thing called life." As they were heading out to their car, Hailey got a phone call from the doctor. It was an automated message to remind her of her appointment tomorrow. She put a hand to her lips, shocked that she had almost forgotten. _Yeah, score 1 for pregnancy brain_.

"Oh my gosh, Jay! I have my appointment tomorrow! I cannot believe I almost forgot!" She exclaimed, a smile spreading over her face despite her voice being in slight distress.

Jay was surprised too, but managed to keep his expression neutral. "Oh, okay, wow. Am I– is this the one you want me to come with you too?" He asked tentatively.

Hailey leapt into his arms, wrapping her hands around his neck while wildly shaking her head up and down. "Yes, yes yes!" She replied, kissing him between each affirmation.

She hopped down and they finished their journey home. _Home_. _Their home_. _Together_. Yeah, neither would get tired of thinking about that. And soon, they'd add another member to their home: a baby boy or girl. Only a little less than 24 hours from now and they'd have their answer. Sleep was the last thing on either of their minds as they laid next to each other, both thinking the same thing: _what would happen tomorrow would sure change everything; but they were ready for this important step in their lives._

* * *

"Good morning guys!" Natalie's cheery voice greeted the two of them in their hospital room at Chicago Med. "Ready to do this?"

Hailey nodded eagerly, and Jay squeezed her hand in reassurance. Natalie took note of their expressions, moving ahead with the medical gel that was to be placed on Hailey's stomach.

Hailey squeezed Jay's hand a little more as she felt the cool liquid on her skin. Natalie moved it around with the detector tool, and within a few seconds, the couple was greeted with their first image of their baby. Their baby **girl**_. _

Natalie announced it with tremendous enthusiasm, smiling brightly at the happy duo.

Hailey looked up at Jay, surprised to find he was just as emotional as she was. She leaned up to kiss him, which he met with such compassion. "We're gonna have a girl, babe," she whispered, sniffling some little as more happy tears came.

"She's gonna have the best mom in the world." Jay whispered back, kissing Hailey's forehead.

Jay was going to say something else when out of the corner of his eye, he saw the curtains rustle. "Okay, Will, you can come out now," he lamented, rolling his eyes as his brother's red hair poked out from the other side of the drapery.

Hailey laughed out loud. "Oh my gosh, Will! Y'know you could've just come in like a normal human being," she shook her head in disbelief. "Course, nevermind, you _are_ Jay's brother after all. Dorkiness must be genetic," she joked, earning identical grimaces from the Halstead brothers.

Will went over to Natalie's side. "Yeah yeah, but in all seriousness, congratulations you two!"

Hailey had just opened her mouth to say something when she heard a cheer. _But from who?_ No one else's mouths moved. She drew her eyes over to Will, who's shirt pocket was lighting up.

"Well, you didn't think I'd leave your unit hanging, didya?" He answered her unasked question. He pulled his phone out of his pocket, and sure enough, it was on a call with the Intelligence Unit. He flipped it to FaceTime, where they were all greeted by the absolute hilarity of Adam's cheers and "HA, told ya"'s as he ran around the squad room, pointing at Kim and Kevin, who seemed like they had been betting on a boy. Jay and Hailey could see Voight in the background, giving them a thumbs up, but also shaking his head at the children, err…_detectives_ he had running around the 21st.

"No, of course not," Jay and Hailey said at the same time, catching one another's looks. They wouldn't have had it any other way.


	15. By the Numbers

**A/N: So sorry for the delay in updating everyone! Just got back from a weekend away, and I had more work to catch up on when I got back. But nevertheless, here we are, and I'm back with a final chapter for this story. Hope ya'll like this wrap up. Thank you for all the kind words and nice reviews! I've loved writing this – family Upstead is like, my new favorite way to write Upstead, haha. Hope you guys have liked it as much as I have. Here's hoping for _SOMETHING_ to happen for Upstead in season 7 of "Chicago PD" in September! Anyway, enjoy this last chapter of "Future Past!" :) **

* * *

"You were amazing today," Jay said as he came around the corner to kiss Hailey's cheek.

She smiled at him, trying to shrug it off as not a big deal. "I do what I can," she joked, smiling even more when he wrapped his arms around her. She was standing in the kitchen, trying to decide what to cook for dinner to celebrate their one-week-a-versary of being parents to their adorable baby girl Amelia Rose. Hailey also had her first day back at work, albeit strictly at the desk. She was doing half days so she could come home and spend time with Amelia; but she'd be lying if she didn't love how happy Jay was to see her back at her desk alongside him.

"I'd never seen a sexier desk jockey," he murmured against her hair, pulling one side of her hair back to kiss her neck.

"Uh huh, sure." She whispered, not able to resist his lips on her skin. "Hmm, babe. Come on, don't you want dinner?"

He smiled against her. "I can think of something else to eat…"

Hailey felt her body arch in response to his seduction. She threaded a hand into his hair, bringing him closer to her. It had definitely been a while since they acted like this with each other. But they both were enjoying themselves just fine….until the baby monitor blinked, signaling movement from Amelia's crib. _Duty calls_.

Hailey felt Jay sigh against her. He still had his hands lazily on her hips. "I got her," he said, heading back to their room to see what the little girl was up to. Hailey smiled as she watched him go, before turning back to her dinner decision. She decided to go with pasta – one because she knew Jay would love it, but two was that she was desperately craving some carbs herself. She was boiling the water when Jay came back into the kitchen.

"She's good. Just needed rocked a little." He reassured her, and Hailey grabbed his hand and squeezed it considerately, her way of saying 'thanks.' Hailey finished up the pasta while Jay helped her grill some chicken. They finally sat down to dinner, Amelia surprisingly sound asleep in her crib.

"Thanks for this," Jay said, looking over at his wife appreciatively.

"Anytime babe," Hailey replied, beaming back at him.

They dug into their food, Jay catching Hailey up on the rest of Intelligence's afternoon. They took down a high-level dealer from the G-Park Lords, a shockingly easy arrest…once they got his followers to give him up. _So much for loyalty. _Everything was starting to settle down again, to feel routine. And that was a good feeling for the both of them.

* * *

Jay woke up first on his rare day off. He had planned to sleep in a little bit on this rainy Sunday morning, but of course 6-month-old Amelia wasn't allowing it. She was rolling around in her crib being fussy, so he decided to tend to her before Hailey woke up.

"Hey there little girl," he cooed to his daughter. "Whatcha up to?" He whispered playfully, knowing full well she couldn't answer. He picked her up gently, trying the rocking trick he knew usually worked. Amelia kept on bobbing about, so he decided to sit with her on the chair by her crib. He sat her on his leg, bouncing her up and down a little to play into her restlessness. She giggled, her little smile lighting up the whole room with a gleeful innocence.

"Aha, there you go," he whispered, sneaking a peek at Hailey, whose form was still, signaling her sleep. Jay turned his attention back to Amelia, who was still giggling and making all the cute noises that babies do. He poked her tummy, tickling her and talking in a baby voice to mimic her, which only made her smile more. He was so focused on Amelia that he didn't even notice that Hailey had woken up and turned over to face them. She was watching them with the hugest smile on her face. It was so cute she could cry – happy tears, of course.

"Nice job, Daddy," she grinned, startling Jay slightly. His green eyes locked onto her blue ones, the two of them sharing one of those looks they'd come to know so well. Amelia was still moving about on Jay's lap, her tiny hands reaching for something. Hailey handed Jay Amelia's pacifier, which their little girl took with eagerness.

Jay decided to put Amelia back down in her crib to crawl around a little, while _he_ crawled back into bed with Hailey. He slung his arm around her, pulling her close, simply to get that familiar vanilla body lotion or lilac lavender shampoo. He sighed, her breath tickling Hailey's neck.

"Well hi there," she said, keeping her body against his while turning her face slightly to see him.

"Hi yourself," he quipped, his voice about two octaves deeper from sleepiness.

"You're amazing, you know that?" She said, pressing her body back into his, still on her side.

"Yeah I know, but what'd I do this time?" He joked, earning a chuckle from the beautiful woman at his side.

"You dork. With Amelia, I mean. You're something else. You're so good with her."

"Hails, you're the amazing one with our daughter. She adores you. She definitely takes after you," he added.

Hailey shifted, turning around to face him completely. "What do you mean?"

Jay smiled. "Well where else does he get that gorgeous smile from?"

Hailey gave him one of her famous grins, kissing him for his sweet compliment. "You're such a cheeseball."

"You love it," his reply was on the tip of his tongue.

"Yeah yeah," she whispered, leaning in to kiss him again.

_So much for going back to sleep_, Jay thought. _Oh well, there are worse ways to wake up._

* * *

"Are you sure about this?" Hailey asked him for the ten thousandth time.

Jay looked at her as he finished with his tie. "Yes honey, I'm sure. Besides, Kim and Adam haven't seen Amelia in a couple months…they practically jumped at the chance to babysit!"

Hailey rolled her eyes at him as she applied her lipstick. "I know, I know…it's just our first night, like…._away_, away from her, you know what I mean? I'm a little nervous…"

She watched in the mirror as Jay walked up behind her. She sighed, but appreciated his effort to calm her down. He hugged her, leaning his head down on her shoulder. "Hey, we got this."

"Yeah?" She said, it coming out more like a question than she meant it to.

"Hell yeah," he replied, going in to kiss her lips.

Hailey held up a finger. "Wait, lipstick."

Jay smirked, diving down to her neck instead. "Uh huh, okay. I can work around it…"

Hailey let out a breathier sigh. "Hmm, I'm sure you can."

Their moment was interrupted by the doorbell ringing, meaning that Ruzek and Burgess were here. _Awesome timing guys._ They caught each other's eyes before they broke apart to go downstairs.

"Hey hey hey!" Adam musically said. Kim just waved, giving Jay and Hailey hugs.

"Thank you soooo much for doing this, you guys." Hailey gushed.

"No problem at all," Kim reassured them. "You crazy kids go have fun now!"

Hailey and Jay laughed, before holding hands and taking off for the car. A boat ride on Lakeshore? Yes, please! They were set to take off for a romantic ride on Lake Michigan in an hour, complete with a picnic and everything.

"Oh man, is it bad that I'm so excited to have a beer again?!" Hailey asked, laughing embarrassedly at her eagerness.

"Nah," Jay said nonchalantly, earning him a punch on the shoulder from his passenger.

"Psh, whatever."

"But don't worry, babe. I got it all worked out."

When they arrived at the shipyard, Jay escorted Hailey to their little boat, where a literal picnic basket was waiting for them, full of all of Hailey's favorite foods, and of course, some beer.

"Yes!" Hailey clapped, jumping up and down before running down and leaping into the boat.

"I'm glad you like it," Jay said, snickering at her excitement.

"Oh humor me, would ya?" Hailey quipped, holding out her hand to him. Jay took it, hopping into the boat across from her. He reached for the basket, doling out some of the food on plates before they got going.

"Oh my gosh, you got like everything here!" Hailey said, her eyes and grin both wide as can be.

"Of course, only the best for you!" Jay said as they dug into their plates. They worked their way out on the lake, slowly paddling between bites of chicken, veggies, fresh bread, and of course, plenty of chocolate. Hailey cracked open a beer as soon as they had taken off, downing half of it by the time they made their second stop.

"Dang, slow you roll there champ," Jay said, half joking, half serious. Getting a little buzzed was okay, but full on drunk plus an easily tipped boat equals a sure-fire way to ruin a date night.

"I'm pacing myself, don't you worry," Hailey replied, holding up her finger, signaling a minute before she finished her beer. "Okay, well, _now_ I'll start pacing."

"Hailey Halstead, what am I gonna do with you?" Jay asked only semi-rhetorically.

"I have a few things in mind…" she said in a low, seductive tone. She crossed her legs and leaned back, allowing her dress hike up a little for added effect. It worked.

It was only after a few minutes of chaotic lips, tongues, and hands that the couple decided to phone Adam and Kim, asking them if they could stay overnight to keep Amelia. They barely heard their "OK" on the other end before hanging up and paddling back so fast from the water you would have thought there was a shark. Hailey caught Jay's eye as he took her hand, helping her out of the boat and back to their car. _Hotel?_ He subconsciously asked. _Hotel_. She answered. Best date night ever for sure. Who said married couples couldn't have fun too?

* * *

"And now, let's sing a little song for Amelia," Hailey announced, setting the teeny tiny, baby sized birthday cake in front of her little girl.

Amelia was all smiles at the cake in front of her, but her big green eyes were roaming over all of the faces in the room. Around the table sat Will, Hank, Adam, Kim, and Kevin, not to mention Hailey's family. They all began to softly sing Amelia her birthday song:

_Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday dear Amelia, happy birthday to you…_

Jay and Hailey leaned in from behind Amelia's highchair to help her blow out the "candle", which was really just play wax. Everyone clapped, and then subsequently laughed as their daughter began to eat cake by the handfuls.

"Oh no no no, you silly girl!" Hailey said, frantically searching for some napkins. Jay cracked up alongside their guests, which of course only made Hailey laugh too.

"Well, guys, I for one am very proud of you," Voight shocked the room by being the first to speak again. "I didn't know what to expect from you two after marriage, then the baby. But you guys continued to do the work, and put in the work. Day in and day out. You didn't let your romantic relationship effect your working partnership, and I've never been happier to have my doubts be proven wrong."

"Here, here!" Adam added, and everyone raised their glasses in a little cheers to the happy couple, who had finally made it to the first of many major milestones in their life. Amelia Rose was now a year old, and it had been the hardest, yet most rewarding year of their life.

Jay looked over at Hailey, wrapping her up into a side hug. He remembered one time where she truly amazed him at her parenting abilities…

"_Sh, sh, shhh," Hailey shushed Amelia in her usual speech pattern. She had Amelia in one arm, and her phone in her other hand. Jay tried to get her to give her to him, but Hailey mouthed a 'no' which only meant Amelia was trying to fall back asleep. Jay understood: sometimes a girl just needed her mother. And right now, Hailey was exactly what 10-month-old Amelia Rose needed. _

"_I'll call Voight," he started, before he caught sight of Hailey's glare. That meant _No. No no. You're not doing this. I got this. _He retracted his earlier statement, slipping his cell phone back into his pocket. He went to grab his jacket from the chair when Hailey came over to him while still on the phone with her mother. _

"_Love you," she whispered. "Now go kick ass at work, okay? Shoot some bad guys for me!" She joked, getting him to smile slightly. _

"_I know you got this, Hails. But you know you call me if you need _anything. _And I mean _anything." _He stared back at her to drive home his point. _

_Her blue eyes bored right back into him, letting him know she understood_. _"You bet." She continued to bounce Amelia lightly against her shoulder, feeling the infant become heavy against her. _Oh thank gosh, she's asleep. _"I'm good babe, promise." She kissed him quickly, and Jay stole one last look at her before he headed out. She was balancing Amelia and her cell, smiling sweetly at their baby girl before sharing a laugh with her mom over the phone. She looked radiant, simply radiant. And Jay knew it was more than just that 'new mom glow.' It was just Hailey, his Hailey. With her flushed cheeks and messy cascade of waves, all a little imperfect, but to him was beautiful. And she had given him a beautiful baby girl. He couldn't be more grateful for that_.

He was pulled out of his memory by Hailey's hand on his shoulder. She was staring up at him intently, and despite the bustle of guests around their living room, it was like she only had eyes for him. Which she did, but he knew it was more than that. She just understood him. And she knew he had gotten lost in something, a thought, a random tangent. She just wrapped her arm around his, linking them together and leaning her head on his shoulder. He mimicked her motions, the two of them simply watching the world move around them for a minute. It gave Hailey a moment to reflect, and of course her mind went to the man standing next to her…correction: who _always_ stood by her.

"_Jay, would you mind? I just got out my bubble bath…" Hailey tried, crossing her fingers that he had heard her and would oblige her this time. She had a hectic day, full of errands and running Amelia to all kinds of appointments – checkups and whatnot. She was fussy and a little temperamental, which left Hailey a little frazzled…and in desperate need of a moment to herself. _

"_No problem Hails, you just relax. Okay?" He called back to her. She smiled to herself as she heard his footfalls in the hall, going back to their room where Amelia was. She started her bath, having just sunk into the tub when Jay knocked. _

"_Can I just come in for a sec?" He tentatively asked. _

_She giggled before answering: "Yeah." _

_Her giggle turned into full blown laughter at the sight of her husband. Jay's hair was in disarray, and he was shirtless, for whatever reason Hailey did not know. He wore a look that said, "oh my goodness, things went from bad to worse in a matter of seconds", but Hailey could only laugh at his misery. It was funny to see him deal with Amelia's craziness today too. _

"_What–" she tried in between laughs. "Happened?" _

_Jay's eyes narrowed, holding Amelia in his arms still. He was rocking her in a classic way, having her wrapped up like a little burrito and against the crooks of his elbows. _

"_I thought she was hungry. She decided she wasn't." He retorted, slipping one hand out from under Amelia to grab his pajama shirt he had left in the bathroom earlier in the day. _

_Hailey had to cover her mouth with her hand, she was laughing that much. "I'm so-" she couldn't contain it. Her smile broke out from beneath her hand. "Sorry babe." _

_She smiled as she watched Jay roll his eyes before smiling too. "Although I gotta admit, you make a hot house husband, _especially_ like that," her eyes worked their way down his uncovered torso, lingering on his arms and abs, both flexing slightly while holding their 8-month-old. She winked and watched his mouth curl into a smirk. _

"_Uh huh," he said. He quickly turned on his heels, walking out of the bathroom with Amelia. Hailey was slightly confused, until he came back with a little baby boat, specially made for tiny tots to sit on in the bath. She grinned as she watched him slip her into the little straps, letting her float on the water a little. _

_Hailey grabbed Amelia's little hands, wrapping them up in her own. She shrieked a little when Jay decided to hop in the bath too, sending a little bit of water over the edge of the tub. "Jay!" _

"_Well, I couldn't resist when I saw you, looking incredibly sexy, _especially_ like that," he said, echoing her earlier statement. He playfully tugged her to him, weaving his arms around hers. _

"_Fair enough," Hailey acknowledged. She clumsily made her way over to him in the bath, deciding to sit up by him so that they could both see Amelia in front of them. It wasn't so much about the physical closeness that they both enjoyed; it was more about the emotional closeness they were feeling by the 3 of them being together. They were happy: really, truly, blissfully happy. And that feeling couldn't be topped by anything else. _

She was pulled out of her thoughts by Jay, whispering in her ear. "Hey, you good to take the picture?"

She blinked a couple times, his handsome face coming into focus. "Yeah," she said, her voice feeling kind of far away, like she was still back in that memory. She was brought back to the present when Jay handed Amelia to her, the little girl smiling and giggling up a storm. Hailey jostled her up, sharing her with Jay as she gave him Amelia's other arm to hold.

"Say cheese!" Will said, as he, Adam, and even Voight had their cameras out, ready to snap away.

Jay and Hailey's eyes met again, their looks speaking volumes along with their soft smiles to each other. Even though they loved pictures, they both knew they'd remember this moment forever. And what a moment it was. They'd look back on it fondly, like they did every other memory they've shared over the years. Amelia just made it that much more special. Their past was amazing, but nothing could compare to her representing their future. So, when the 3 of them turned to face the flashes, they knew their smiles would be the most genuine in the world. Because they were the happiest they'd ever been: past and future aside – this, the moment they were in right now…a picture may be worth a thousand words, but they'd be the ones to remember the story.


End file.
